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THE    CAR    OF    1911 
THE    LOCOMOBILE 


Round  the  World  in  a  Locomobile.      Crossing  Hamana  Bay,  Japan,  in  a  ferry  consisting 

of  two  sail  boats  lashed  together 


THE  CAR  OF  1911 

BEING  THE  LATEST  EDITION  OF  THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK, 
WHICH  ILLUSTRATES  AND  DESCRIBES  1911  LOCOMOBILE 
MODELS  AND  SETS  FORTH  BY  WORD  AND  PICTURE  THE 
MANY  AND  VARIED  ADVANTAGES  OF  THE  LOCOMOBILE  CAR 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE    ADVERTISING    DEPARTMENT    OF 

THE    LOCOMOBILE    COMPANY    OF    AMERICA 

BRIDGEPORT,    CONNECTICUT 

BRANCHES 

NEW  YORK.        BOSTON        PHILADELPHIA       WASHINGTON 
CHICAGO      SAN  FRANCISCO 


COPYRIGHTED     IN 


BY    THE     LOCOMOBILE     COMPANY    OF    AMERICA 


i 


PREFACE 

Although  presented  in  book  form  for 
convenient  reading,  this  publication  is 
essentially  a  catalogue  of  motor  cars. 
It  is  arranged  by  chapters,  indexed  and 
illustrated. 

There  are  two  Locomobile  models. 

The  "30"  Type  "L",  $3500.  Four 
Cylinders,  Four  Speeds.  Described  in 
Chapter  Two. 

The  "48"  Type  "M",  $4800.  Six 
Cylinders,  Four  Speeds.  Described  in 
Chapter  Three. 

Both  models  are  equipped  with  Shaft- 
Drive,  High -Tension  Dual  Ignition 
and  the  latest  types  of  four -door 
bodies  —  they  are  the  result  of  twelve 
years'  experience  in  manufacturing 
automobiles. 


803799 


HE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  ONE.  Reasons  for  Selecting  a  Locomobile.  Its  Safety. 
Engineering  Features.  Built  in  the  Locomobile  Factory. 
Materials.  Workmanship.  Thorough  System  of  Testing. 
Power.  Comfort.  Quietness.  Economy.  Record.  The 
Locomobile  Organization.  Pages  13  to  42. 

CHAPTER  Two.  The  "jo"  Locomobile,  Type  "L"  Shaft-Drive, 
Four  Cylinders.  General  description  and  advantages  of 
this  car.  Various  models  with  illustrations  :  The  Touring 
Car,  Baby  Tonneau,  Torpedo,  Limousine,  and  Landaulet. 
Specifications.  Pages  43  to  66. 

CHAPTER  THREE.  The  "  48  "  Locomobile,  Type  "  M  ",  Shaft- 
Drive,  Six  Cylinders.  General  description  and  advantages. 
Various  models  with  illustrations :  The  Touring  Car, 
Torpedo,  Limousine,  and  Landaulet.  Specifications. 
Pages  67  to  78. 

CHAPTER  FOUR.  Round  the  World  in  a  Locomobile.  Describ- 
ing a  remarkable  trip  in  a  car  through  Europe,  Asia  and 
America.  Pages  79  to  96. 

CHAPTER  FIVE.  The  Locomobile  used  in  Important  Service. 
Emphasizing  the  strength  and  durability  of  the  Standard 
Locomobile  Chassis.  Pages  97  to  no. 

CHAPTER  Six.  Endorsements  of  the  Locomobile.  Convincing 
letters  of  testimony  from  Locomobile  owners.  Pages  in 
to  136. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER  SEVEN.  The  Locomobile  Plant.  A  description  of 
our  factory  and  manufacturing  methods.  Pages  137  to  1 50. 

CHAPTER  EIGHT.  The  Locomobile  Organization.  Its  Strength, 
Unity  and  Experience.  System  of  Branch  Houses  and 
Dealers,  and  Facilities  for  taking  care  of  Owners.  Pages 
151  to  158. 

CHAPTER  NINE.  The  Locomobile  Motor.  Its  Design  and 
Construction,  fully  described  and  illustrated.  Pages  159 
to  1 80. 

CHAPTER  TEN.     Cooling  System.     Pages  181  to  186. 

CHAPTER  ELEVEN.  The  Locomobile  Four-Speed  Transmission. 
Pages  187  to  198. 

CHAPTER  TWELVE.  Locomobile  Rear  Axle  and  Shaft-Drive 
System.  Pages  199  to  210. 

CHAPTER  THIRTEEN.  Chassis  Construction.  Fully  described 
and  illustrated.  Pages  212  to  226. 

CHAPTER  FOURTEEN.     Control  Devices.     Pages  227  to  232. 

CHAPTER  FIFTEEN.  Miscellaneous  Information  for  Motorists. 
State  Laws.  Horse-Power.  Automobile  Organizations. 
Route  Books  for  American  Touring.  American  Autjp- 
mobile  Maps.  Foreign  Route  Books  and  Maps.  Foreign 
Touring.  Insurance.  Pages  233  to  250. 

APPENDIX.  What  is  the  Life  of  a  Car?  Herbert  L.  Towle, 
and  reprinted  from  Harper's  Weekly.  Pages  251  to  253. 

STANDARD  WARRANTY.     Page  254. 


CHAPTER     ONE 


f 


LOCOMOBILE  3.OOK 


CHAPTER     ONE 

It  is  appreciated  today  more  widely  than  ever  that 
the  modern  motor  car  is  essentially  a  machine.  There 
is  no  longer  any  mystery  about  the  automobile,  and 
although  the  pleasure  derived  from  its  use  casts  a 
charm  over  it  and  makes  it  seem  different  from  other 
machinery,  it  nevertheless  exists  as  a  twentieth  century 
utility  along  with  the  electric  locomotive  and  turbine 
steamboat.  Like  these,  it  is  more  than  an  ordinary 
machine  —  it  is  a  combination  of  machines,  constantly 
subjected  to  the  shocks  induced  by  travel,  and  must 
therefore  be  particularly  well  built  in  order  to  prove 
safe  and  satisfactory  from  year  to  year. 

Every  company  engaged  in  manufacturing,  milling, 
printing,  or  in  any  business  requiring  the  use  of 
machinery,  realizes  the  necessity  of  purchasing  the 
best  obtainable,  because  it  is  the  cheapest  in  the  end. 
In  fact,  most  machinery  is  of  the  most  durable  sort 
possible  to  build.  The  railroad  does  not  attempt  to 
secure  low-priced  engines;  on  the  contrary,  purchases 
the  finest  product  available  in  order  that  trains  may 
be  hauled  quickly,  safely,  and  at  a  low  maintenance 
cost.  All  machine  tools,  printing  presses,  and  similar 
machines  are  invariably  of  the  highest  type,  because 


HE  LOG       O       MOB       I       L       E  BOOK 


companies  who  operate  them  cannot  afford  to 
'p'lirchase  anything  else. 

The  automobile  is  probably  the  most  highly 
specialized  of  all  modern  machines.  If  this  were  not 
so  we  should  have  had  automobiles  seventy-  five 
years  ago,  as  we  did  locomotives.  Consequently,  if  it 
pays  the  manufacturer  to  buy  the  best  machinery  he 
can  get,  it  pays  the  purchaser  of  the  automobile 
even  better  to  select  the  safest  and  most  durable  car 
on  the  market.  During  the  past  few  years  the 
automobile  industry  has  witnessed  the  introduction  of 
a  large  number  of  new  makes,  mostly  low  in  price. 
These  cars  have  been  bought  by  thousands  of  people 
in  all  sections  of  the  country.  Many  automobilists, 
however,  who  have  purchased  low-priced  cars  are  now 
ordering  the  best  automobiles  that  are  produced,  and 
many  other  automobilists  are  buying  second-hand  cars 
of  high  reputation  in  preference  to  further  investment 
in  cheap  new  cars. 

The  Locomobile  for  1911  is  offered  as  the  safest 
and  most  durable  machine  that  our  twelve  years' 
experience  in  building  cars  has  enabled  us  to  produce. 
It  is  a  car  of  the  soundest  engineering  principles,  built 
throughout  in  the  Locomobile  factory  of  the  finest 
material,  put  together  with  the  greatest  care,  and 
thoroughly  tested  in  every  particular.  The  Locomobile 
is  so  strong  and  so  safe  that  it  is  sure  to  prove  the 


16 


H 


L      O      C       O       M      O      B 


BOO 


most  reliable  car  and  the  cheapest  in  the  end.  It 
represents  the  utmost  possible  combination  of  strength 
and  refinement,  resulting  in  a  safe  vehicle  with 
unlimited  comfort  and  endurance.  The  possession  of 
such  a  car,  together  with  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  doing  business  with  a  long  experienced  and  well 
established  organization,  insures  lasting  satisfaction 
—  the  best  there  is  in  automobiling. 

We  offer  for  1911  two  models  of  proven  excellence, 
together  with  the  fullest  measure  of  co-operation  with 
owners. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

REASONS    FOR    SELECTING    THE 
LOCOMOBILE 

High  Factor  of  Safety.  Undoubtedly  the  most 
important  reason  for  selecting  the  Locomobile  is  its 
safe  construction.  The  greatest  charm  of  automobiling 
is  found  in  the  visits  to  remote  places  where  the  roads 
are  rough  and  the  conditions  severe;  the  Locomobile 
owner  drives  his  car  everywhere  he  wishes,  with  a 
feeling  of  absolute  safety  at  all  times,  and  his  confi- 
dence in  the  car  grows  stronger  every  year  he  drives  it. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  make  a  car  that  will  stand 
the  tests  of  mild  motoring  for  a  time,  but  it  takes 
experience  and  skill  to  make  a  car  that  is  so  safe  that 
it  never  fails  when  the  unexpected  emergency  happens. 
Locomobile  owners  trust  the  Locomobile  car  because 
of  the  high  factor  of  safety  in  design,  the  surplus 
strength  that  prevents  breakage,  and  consequent 
accident.  An  example  of  this  care  is  shown  in  the 
wheels,  which  are  made  of  the  toughest  second 
growth  hickory,  and  so  firmly  fastened  to  the  axles 
that  they  cannot  come  off.  The  spokes  are  very 
heavy  and  there  are  twelve  of  them  in  the  front 
wheels,  two  more  than  in  ordinary  cars.  Locomobile 
brakes  are  powerful,  substantially  built  and  operated 
by  strong,  safe  mechanism ;  Locomobile  axles  are 
designed  and  built  in  our  works  and  are  the  strongest 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

possible  to  build;  the  Locomobile  is  the  only  shaft- 
driven  car  that  uses  alloy  steel  in  the  rear  axle  tubes; 
the  quality  of  steel  in  the  front  axle  is  so  tough  that 
it  can  be  bent  double  cold  without  seam  or  check. 
The  safety  of  the  Locomobile  steering  apparatus  is  a 
matter  on  which  we  wish  to  lay  great  stress,  as  the 
character  of  the  control  mechanism  of  a  car  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  the  owner.  All  parts 
of  the  Locomobile  steering  gear  are  exceedingly  large 
and  strong,  are  carefully  made  of  the  very  best  material 
obtainable,  and  are  secured  in  the  most  substantial 
manner  possible.  The  result  of  all  these  precautions, 
year  after  year,  has  given  the  Locomobile  the  highest 
reputation  for  safety.  //  is  a  permanently  safe  car  under 
all  conditions  of  road  travel. 

Attractive  Features  in  Design.  Our  first  gasolene 
machine  was  the  first  American  car  with  a  four-cylinder 
vertical  water-cooled  motor,  steel  frame,  and  sliding- 
gear  transmission.  The  Locomobile  design  today  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  same  men  who  produced  the  first 
gasolene  Locomobile;  consequently  our  car  has  enjoyed 
a  satisfactory  and  rational  development  from  a  sound 
basic  design,  scientifically  correct  in  every  detail.  The 
1911  Locomobile  is  fully  abreast  of  the  times ;  is 
designed  in  accordance  with  the  latest  approved  ideas, 
yet  contains  no  feature  that  has  not  been  demonstrated 
to  be  permanently  valuable. 

'9 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  following  features  indicate  the  desirability  of 
the  Locomobile  from  an  engineering  standpoint : 

1 .  High-tension  dual  ignition.     The  best  imported 
apparatus. 

2.  Bronze    motor   base.       This    is    an    important 
exclusive  feature  of  the  Locomobile,  giving  maximum 
life  to  the  motor.      Made  in  one  piece  for  simplicity. 

3.  "  T"  head  motor.     Admission  and  exhaust  valves 
located  on  opposite  sides.     This  is  the  best  type  of 
motor  for  reliability. 

4.  Moderate  length  of  motor  stroke.     This  insures 
the  longest  life  to  the  bevel-driving  gears,  power  being 
obtained    by    increased     shaft     speed     instead    of    by 
high  torque. 

5.  Adequate  cooling  system.     This  is  obtained  by  the 
use  of  large  areas.      Exceedingly  efficient  and  reliable. 

6 .  Metal  timing  gears  instead  of  fibre. 

7.  Low    center    of   gravity    combined   with    ample 
clearance  for  American  roads — insuring  safety. 

8.  Special  arrangement  of  motor  valve  lifters.      This 
produces  quietness,  and  obviates  the  use  of  fibre  discs, 
which  quickly  wear  and  need  renewing. 

9.  Automatic  carbureter.     This  is  our  own  design 
and  the  result  of  years  of  experience.      Durable  bronze 
construction.      Perfectly  automatic  in  action. 

10.  Wide  use  of  anti-friction  bearings.     Imported 
annular  bearings  are  used  practically  throughout  the  car. 


The  "  30  "  Locomobile  Touring  Car,  Type  "  L  ",  Four- Cylinder,  Shaft-Drive 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

1 1 .  Perfect  balance.      By  this  is  meant  the  uniform 
strength  of  the  parts,  the  harmonious  adjustment  of  the 
various    components    and   the    careful   distribution   of 
weight.      These  result  in  a  car  that  is  a  mechanical 
unit — very  durable,  steady  riding,  and  easy  on  tires. 

12.  Four-speed  selective  transmission.     This  enables 
the  car  to  be  operated  to  the  best  advantage  and  makes 
gear  shifting  easy  and  certain. 

1 3 .  Manganese  bronze  transmission  case.     The  great 
strength  of  manganese  bronze  insures  perfect  alignment 
of  the  gears  and  bearings,  and  consequent  long  life  to 
the  mechanism. 

14.  Liberal  differential  gear  design.      The  Loco- 
mobile differential  gear  is  notable  for  the  ample  size 
of  the  gears  and  other  parts  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  motor,  everything  being  made  of  the  best  possible 
material.      As  a  result  there  is  no  replacing  of  parts, 
no   binding  or  cramping   under   any   conditions — no 
trouble  whatever. 

15.  Exceedingly  high  factor  of  safety.     This  insures 
ample  strength  of  the  steering  mechanism,  wheels,  axles, 
and  brakes  and  other  parts  which  are  of  great  importance 
as  regards  safety. 

1 6.  Attractive  propeller  shaft  details.     The  Loco- 
mobile driving  shaft  is  alloy  steel  and  provided  with 
a  universal  joint  at  each  end.     The  forward  joint  is  of 
the  yoke  variety  and  the  construction  is  such  that  the 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

shaft  is   locked   in    place    under    all    conditions  —  an 
important  advantage. 

17.  Rear  axle  acts  as  a  beam  only.      In  most  cars 
there  is  great  torsional  stress  on  the  rear  axle.      In  the 
Locomobile  the  spring  chairs  have  a  lubricated  bearing 
on  the  rear  axle  and  similarly  with  the  rear  ends  of 
the    distance  rods  to  which  the  brakes  are  attached. 
As  a  result,  all  action  of  the  brakes  and  springs,  and 
all  driving  and  other  stresses,  are  properly  transmitted 
without  any  twisting  action  on  the  rear  axle. 

1 8.  No  brazing  in  rear  axle  construction.      A  very 
strong  advantage  of  the  Locomobile.      It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  strength  of  a  brazed  joint  is  uncertain, 
and  for  this  reason  the  number  of  brazed  joints  in  the 
Locomobile  is  reduced  absolutely  to  a  minimum. 

19.  Thorough  lubrication  system.     At  thirty  places 
on  the  chassis  where  oiling  is  necessary,  dirty  oil  holes 
are    eliminated  and  clean  and  easily  operated    grease 
cups  are  substituted. 

20.  Large  tire  sizes.     The  Locomobile  has  always 
been  provided  with  tires  a  little  larger  than  necessary 
and  this  advantage  is,  of  course,  assured  in  the   1 9%  i 
models,  which  are  also  provided  with  demountable  rims. 

The  Locomobile  is  Built  in  the  Locomobile  Factory.  All 
motor  cars  are  of  two  classes  —  built  cars  and  assembled 
cars.  Most  automobiles  are  of  the  second  variety, 


The  parts  of  the  "  30  "  Locomobile 
26 


HE  LOCOMOBILE  BOO 


The  number  of  parts  and  pieces  in 
the  modern  automobile  is  very  great, 
nearly  six  thousand  in  all.  This  is 
because  the  motor  car  is  a  complicated 
structure,  in  reality  a  combination  of 
machines.  The  illustration  on  the 
opposite  page  shows  practically  all  the 
parts  entering  into  the  construction  of 
the  "30"  Locomobile  chassis.  Any 
car,  whether  four  or  six  -  cylinder, 
whether  low  in  price  or  not,  contains 
about  the  same  number  of  parts.  In 
the  high  grade  automobile,  like  the 
Locomobile,  each  one  of  these  parts  is 
made  from  carefully  selected  material, 
machined  and  finished  with  greatest  care, 
and  the  closest  attention  is  paid  to  the 
important  inspection  and  testing  processes 
so  necessary  to  safety  and  durability. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

assembled  by  the  company  from  ready-made  parts 
purchased  from  the  part-maker's  stock.  The  other 
variety  comprises  those  cars  that  are  largely  built  in 
the  company's  factory  and  which  contain  a  motor, 
transmission,  and  chassis,  aggregating  thousands  of 
separate  pieces,  all  of  which  the  maker  has  designed  and 
made  on  his  various  machines.  It  should  be  evident 
that  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  the  ideal  automobile 
can  be  produced,  for  the  reason  that  the  design  and 
construction  of  the  car  must  be  carried  on  under  the 
same  roof,  as  both  are  of  equal  importance.  Any  car 
may  have  attractive  features  that  sound  well,  yet  the 
car  may  fail  if  hastily  designed  or  improperly  built. 
And  between  the  assembling  firm  and  the  parts  maker 
there  can  only  be  an  approximately  close  connection. 
A  car  built  from  start  to  finish  by  one  organization 
may  cost  more  to  build  than  one  composed  of  parts 
which  are  produced  by  the  thousand  for  the  trade,  but 
it  is  better  unified,  better  in  every  respect  at  the  outset, 
and  will  certainly  outlast  several  cars  of  the  assembled 
variety. 

High  Character  of  Materials.  From  the  time,  years 
ago,  when  the  first  Locomobile  touring  car  appeared  on 
the  market,  it  has  been  distinguished  by  the  uniformity 
and  superiority  of  its  metals.  Special  formula  bronze 
is  employed  in  three  parts  of  the  car;  the  crank  case 
of  the  motor,  the  transmission  case,  and  the  housing 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

containing  the  steering  gears.  The  use  of  bronze  at 
these  points  increases  the  cost  of  the  car  over  and  above 
what  aluminum  would  cost,  but  as  no  casting  material 
has  ever  been  found  which  has  the  strength  of  bronze 
and  which  can  be  so  successfully  cast  in  intricate  shape 
and  light  section,  this  material  has  been  deliberately 
chosen  in  order  to  insure  the  safety  and  maximum  life 
of  the  machine.  Aluminum  is  only  used  on  the 
Locomobile  where  it  can  be  employed  safely  and 
where  weight  can  be  reduced  as  a  consequence. 

The  steels  used  in  the  construction  of  the  Loco- 
mobile are  the  most  expensive  obtainable  and  are  the 
most  suitable  in  every  case  for  the  purpose  intended. 
Steel  selected  for  a  particular  part  is  subjected  to  heat 
treatment,  in  a  splendidly  equipped  factory  department, 
so  as  to  bring  it  to  the  exact  degree  of  hardness  or 
toughness  which  may  be  most  desirable  under  the 
circumstances.  As  to  quality,  it  may  be  stated  for 
example,  the  spring  steel  for  automobile  springs  may 
be  purchased  as  low  as  eight  cents  a  pound  ;  Loco- 
mobile spring  steel  costs  twenty-eight  cents  a  pound 
and  is  the  best  and  toughest  that  can  be  obtained. 

The  matter  does  not  end,  however,  with  the 
selection  of  stock,  as  rigid  care  and  exceptional 
facilities  must  be  applied  to  the  handling  of  modern 
alloy  steels  which  are  complicated  in  structure  and 
which  may  be  spoiled  in  the  working  if  treated 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

unskillfully  or  with  insufficient  apparatus.  For  six 
or  seven  years  we  have  maintained  one  of  the  most 
up-to-date  heat-treating  and  annealing  establishments 
in  New  England,  and  every  piece  of  steel  used  in  the 
Locomobile  is  subjected  to  heat  treatment  right  in 
the  Locomobile  shops;  thus  Locomobile  metal  is  not 
only  the  best  obtainable  but  it  is  intelligently  and 
correctly  handled,  so  as  to  get  the  best  results  from 
the  raw  material. 

The  third  important  point  refers  to  the  physical 
and  chemical  tests  of  the  materials  used.  Every  lot 
of  material  entering  into  the  construction  of  the  car 
is  subjected  to  a  complete  chemical  analysis  and 
thorough  physical  test  in  order  that  the  high  quality  of 
Locomobile  material  may  be  maintained  permanently. 

High  Order  of  Workmanship.  Our  car  has  always 
been  known  as  a  very  carefully  built  and  substantial 
automobile.  One  of  our  recent  customers  told  us  that 
a  short  time  ago  he  was  visiting  one  of  the  largest,  if 
not  the  largest,  French  automobile  factories,  in  company 
with  a  friend,  and  saw  there  several  American  cars 
representing  the  best  makes  of  this  country.  On 
inquiry  it  was  found  that  the  maker  was  designing 
part  of  his  product  especially  for  American  travel 
and  was  examining  the  best  American  cars  to  get 
"pointers".  When  discussing  the  various  makes,  this 
French  builder  stated  that  the  Locomobile  was  the 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

best  built  machine  in  the  lot.  Such  incidents  have 
led  us  to  believe  that  the  phrase  "The  Best  Built 
Car  in  America  "  is  amply  justified. 

Every  automobile,  whether  it  is  a  small  or  a  large 
car,  is  composed  of  thousands  of  separate  pieces,  and  the 
number  of  nuts  and  bolts  holding  these  pieces  together 
is  necessarily  enormous.  In  the  Locomobile  every 
nut  and  the  end  of  every  bolt  is  hardened.  Double 
lock  nuts  and  cotter  pins  are  used  throughout  so  as 
to  secure  each  part  permanently.  The  Locomobile 
is  composed  largely  of  forgings,  which  are  produced 
complete  in  the  Locomobile  works ;  even  the  dies 
from  which  the  forgings  are  made,  are  sunk  by  experts 
in  our  employ.  Every  forging  and,  in  fact,  every 
casting  is  subjected  to  the  acid  test,  to  the  action  of 
the  sand  blast,  and  in  addition  to  this,  every  forging 
is  heat-treated.  All  gear  wheels  are  produced  in  the 
Locomobile  works  from  start  to  finish.  In  every 
department  the  highest  character  of  machine  practice 
is  followed,  with  the  result  that  the  car  is  a  homogene- 
ous unit  composed  of  perfectly  built  components. 

Thorough  System  of  Testing.  All  Locomobile  parts 
are  made  in  the  Locomobile  factory  and  subjected  to  a 
critical  inspection — every  forging,  every  nut,  bolt  and 
screw,  every  part,  large  or  small,  is  carefully  examined 
before  it  is  used.  Some  parts,  like  the  crank  shaft, 
are  inspected  after  each  operation.  The  principal 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

components  of  the  car — carbureter,  magneto,  motor, 
transmission,  steering  column,  rear  axle,  etc. — are  tested 
separately ;  consequently,  when  the  car  is  completed  it 
is  composed  of  tested  units.  Each  car  is  given  a  severe 
road  test  during  which  it  is  tuned  up  and  adjusted  until 
it  fulfills  a  long  list  of  strict  requirements.  After  the 
car  is  painted  and  equipped  and  ready  for  delivery,  it 
is  given  a  final  inspection  and  road  test  to  make  sure 
that  everything  is  in  perfect  order  for  the  customer. 

All  these  testing  processes  are  exceedingly  expensive 
and  are  consequently  not  applied  to  the  cheaper 
makes  of  cars,  but  it  is  not  possible  to  produce  a 
truly  high  class  car,  a  safe,  substantial  machine  like 
the  Locomobile,  unless  every  precaution  is  taken  at 
each  stage  of  manufacture. 

From  the  moment  when  the  first  operation  is 
started  on  the  first  part  of  the  Locomobile,  until  the 
completed  car  is  ready  for  delivery,  the  manifold 
processes  are  watched  and  checked.  The  result  is  a 
perfect  machine,  or  as  nearly  perfect  as  it  is  possible 
to  make. 

"The  Locomobile  is  Permanently  Powerful.  Purchasers* 
frequently  infer  that  because  a  car  may  make  a  satis- 
factory demonstration,  that  it  will  do  so  every  day. 
They  are  also  led  to  believe  that  the  mere  dimensions 
of  a  motor  must  necessarily  mean  satisfactory  power 
for  hill  climbing  and  general  service,  whereas  it  is  only 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

in  the  high  class  car  that  the  power  of  the  motor  is 
high  for  its  dimensions,  and  it  is  only  in  a  car  of  the 
highest  type,  such  as  the  Locomobile,  that  the  power 
of  the  motor  remains  constant  and  does  not  diminish 
after  the  car  has  been  run  a  few  months.  The 
Locomobile  is  widely  known  as  a  machine  that  will 
accomplish  the  work  every  day  that  it  is  required  to 
do,  and  that  will  perform  with  the  same  satisfaction 
at  the  end  of  a  year's  hard  service  as  it  did  at  the 
outset. 

The  power  of  a  motor  car  and  its  generally  satis- 
factory performance  result  as  much  from  proper 
co-ordination  of  the  parts  as  anything  else.  A  large 
motor  may  not  develop  the  power  it  should,  or  it 
may  suffer  loss  in  road  performance  through  a  poor 
transmission  design  which  absorbs  power  and  cuts  down 
speed,  or  else  the  chassis  may  lack  balance,  in  which 
case  the  faulty  distribution  of  weight  makes  the  car 
skid  before  the  full  power  of  the  motor  can  be  utilized. 
Further  than  this,  the  riding  qualities  of  the  car  may 
be  such  that  the  full  power  of  the  motor  cannot  be 
utilized  for  speed  and  hill  climbing  with  either  safety 
or  comfort.  The  "  30  "  Locomobile,  for  example, 
with  its  four-cylinder  motor  of  4^ -inch  bore,  will 
not  merely  operate  consistently,  but  will  give  better 
road  performance  than  many  cars  with  larger  engines, 
and  with  greater  economy  and  greater  comfort. 

33 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Comfort.  The  automobile,  by  reason  of  its  con- 
venience and  adaptability,  is  more  popular  than  any 
other  means  of  transportation,  and  many  of  our  owners 
use  their  cars  whenever  possible  in  preference  to  traveling 
by  rail.  In  these  days  of  long  motor  trips  the  matter 
\of  comfort  is  becoming  increasingly  important,  and  the 
only  way  to  enjoy  luxury  of  travel  is  to  possess. a  car 
that  is  reliable,  absolutely  safe,  and  that  rides  very  easily 
and  steadily.  If  the  car  is  deficient  in  any  of  these 
particulars,  there  is  bound  to  be  mental  or  physical 
discomfort,  or  both,  which  may  be  very  unpleasant  on 
a  long  trip. 

One  reason  why  the  Locomobile  rides  so  well  is  that 
it  has  a  sufficient  amount  of  weight,  yet  not  so  much  as  to 
be  hard  on  tires.  The  heavy  Pullman  rides  easier  than 
the  day  coach,  and  the  heaviest  and  largest  ocean  liners 
are  the  most  comfortable  vessels  possible.  True  com- 
fort cannot  be  realized  by  riding  in  a  light  car. 

Another  feature  of  the  Locomobile  is  the  proper 
distribution  of  weight,  which  produces  steadiness  and 
eliminates  any  tendency  towards  skidding  or  side  sway 
when  traveling  at  speed.  The  spring  suspension, 
design  of  body,  the  shape  of  the  cushions  and  their 
deep  luxurious  springs,  and  all  of  the  matters  which 
have  to  do  with  comfort,  have  been  worked  out  in  the 
Locomobile  to  the  fulldst  particular.  It  is  a  permanently 
comfortable  car  under  all  conditions  of  road  travel. 


34 


The  "  48  "  Locomobile  Touring  Car,  Type  "  M  ",  Six-Cylinder,  Shaft-Drive 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Quietness.  Silence  of  operation  is  a  feature  of  the 
automobile  that  is  increasingly  important.  For  many 
years  the  Locomobile  was  a  chain -driven  car  entirely, 
on  account  of  the  greater  reliability  at  that  time  of  this 
particular  system  of  final  drive.  Years  of  careful 
experiment  enabled  us  to  produce  a  shaft- driven  car 
possessing  the  same  reliability  as  our  chain -driven 
product,  with  the  result  that  all  Locomobiles  for  1911 
are  provided  with  shaft-drive.  They  are  quiet  cars  and 
will  continue  so.  The  matter  of  permanent  quietness 
is  of  great  importance  and  the  average  purchaser 
believes  that  if  a  car  is  quiet  at  the  outset,  it  is  destined 
to  remain  so,  whereas  most  cars  have  fibre  gears  that 
are  not  so  durable  as  metal  gears  and  which  conse- 
quently wear  and  become  noisy.  The  Locomobile  is 
provided  with  metal  gears  precisely  machined. 

Exceptional  care  is  employed  in  the  construction  of 
the  valve  system  in  order  to  insure  quietness  at  this 
point.  A  special  arrangement  of  the  valve  lifters  makes 
them  very  quiet,  and  without  using  fibre  discs,  which 
need  frequent  renewing. 

A  very  thorough  system  of  lubrication  enables  the 
operator  of  the  Locomobile  to  keep  all  wearing  parts 
adequately  lubricated  by  means  of  grease  cups,  in  a  very 
convenient  manner,  with  the  result  that  squeaking  and 
rattling  may  be  entirely  avoided  with  moderate  care 
in  maintenance.  The  Locomobiles  for  1911  are  the 

37 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

quietest  models  we  have  ever  produced  and  our  effort 
has  been  to  make  them  as  permanently  quiet  as  possible. 

Economy  of  the  Locomobile.  True  automobile  econ- 
omy means  more  than  a  saving  in  oil  and  gasolene 
over  some  other  car,  and  to  this  the  experienced 
automobilist  will  readily  attest. 

Our  claims  for  economy  are  based  particularly  on 
the  fundamental  merits  of  the  Locomobile;  it  is  an 
economical  car  to  maintain  because  the  parts  do  not 
break  or  wear  out.  Economy  in  tire  replacement  is 
effected  by  equipping  our  cars  with  tires  which  are 
large  enough  to  do  the  work  every  day  without  being 
overloaded  and  are  larger  than  required  by  the  tire 
makers  to  carry  our  load.  Tires  frequently  wear  out 
before  their  time  because  the  rubber  is  subjected  to  too 
much  pressure ;  also  because  of  defective  steering  wheel 
design  the  front  wheels  do  not  run  true  and  the  tires 
are  ground  down;  also  because  of  poor  balance  or 
faulty  differential  design  there  is  too  much  skidding 
at  the  rear  and  consequent  wearing  down  of  the 
tires  of  the  driving  wheels. 

The  Locomobile  is  economical  in  oil  and  gasolene 
on  account  of  its  correct  construction,  which  reduces 
friction  and  saves  power. 

We  claim  economy  of  time  in  maintaining  the 
Locomobile  because  of  the  small  need  for  adjustment 
and  tinkering.  If  a  few  simple  rules  are  followed,  the 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Locomobile  can  be  driven  for  thousands  of  miles 
without  other  attention  than  to  fill  the  tanks  and  tp 
keep  the  wearing  parts  properly  lubricated,  arrange- 
ments being  such  that  this  is  easily  and  conveniently 
accomplished. 

The  greatest  bugbear  in  the  mind  of  the  automo- 
bilist  is  depreciation,  and  this  is  something  that  is 
inseparable  from  economy.  Rapid  depreciation  of 
paint,  upholstery,  and  tires  calls  for  needless  outlay; 
rapid  wearing  of  parts  means  inevitable  expense  in 
replacing  such  parts  long  before  it  is  necessary.  In 
the  things  that  count  the  most,  in  the  details  that 
produce  longest  life  and  least  wear,  the  Locomobile  is 
the  supreme  American  machine. 

Record  of  the  Locomobile.  In  the  early  days  our  car 
was  conspicuous  for  its  performance  in  racing  and 
endurance  contests,  but  we  soon  found  that  the  expense 
and  time  incidental  to  such  competitions  was  out  of  all 
proportion  to  the  benefits  received.  In  recent  years 
we  have  directed  our  entire  energy  to  the  betterment 
of  our  product  and  to  the  perfecting  of  our  organization, 
and  to  giving  the  best  possible  service  to  customers. 
We  believe  that  the  performances  of  the  Locomobile 
in  public  competitions  have  been  so  striking  as  to 
leave  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  public  as  to  the 
excellence  of  our  product.  It  will  be  recalled  that 
the  Locomobile  was  the  first  American  car  to  win 


39 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

the  International  Race  for  the  Vanderbilt  Cup,  and 
during  this  race  the  Locomobile  made  the  fastest  time 
accomplished  in  this  contest  for  six  years.  Our  pride, 
however,  lies  chiefly  in  the  record  of  the  Locomobile 
in  the  hands  of  our  owners.  One  of  our  cars  has 
made  a  trip  around  the  world  at  a  cost  for  repairs  and 
replacements  of  less  than  the  cost  of  an  inner  tube, 
without  disturbing  the  motor,  transmission,  frame, 
brakes,  cooling  system  or  other  parts  of  the  car.  Such 
a  performance  made  without  any  factory  assistance 
whatsoever,  and  by  a  party  unafHliated  in  any  way 
with  our  organization,  is  a  complete  proof  of  the 
excellence  of  the  Locomobile.  A  later  chapter  of 
this  book  containing  a  large  number  of  endorsements 
of  the  Locomobile  doubtless  will  give  a  better  idea  of 
the  record  of  our  car  than  anything  else.  The 
published  record  of  performances  of  a  car  in  public 
competitions,  owned  by  the  maker,  and  driven  by  his 
own  men,  may  be  exceedingly  valuable  and  impressive, 
but  the  record  of  a  car  in  the  hands  of  the  owner  is 
thejina/  test. 

The  Locomobile  Organization.  In  purchasing  an 
automobile  it  is  important  that  a  good  car  be  selected 
which  is  actually  built  by  the  makers ;  the  owner  thus 
obtains  a  machine  built  precisely  and  carefully,  in 
which  the  maker  has  a  keen  and  continued  interest. 
It  is  important  to  select  a  good  car;  it  is  equally 


H 


LOG 


MOB 


BOOK 


important  to  consider  the  character  of  the  organization 
producing  it — its  experience,  and  reputation  for  taking 
care  of  its  customers. 

The  Locomobile  organization  is  composed  of  men 
who  have  been  associated  with  it  since  its  foundation. 
Practically  all  department  heads  of  the  Locomobile 
Company  have  been  with  the  organization  since  its 
foundation.  It  is  inevitable  that  a  car  produced  under 
such  favorable  conditions  will  be  a  good  car  and  will 
continue  to  be  a  good  car,  and  that  the  service  accorded 
to  the  customer  will  be  good  service  and  will  continue  to 
be  good  service.  In  buying  any  article  of  importance 
the  purchaser  always  prefers  to  consider  first,  some 
company  with  a  reputation  for  fair  dealing;  and  if 
this  is  ordinarily  a  desirable  thing,  it  is  vastly  more 
so  in  connection  with  the  purchase  of  an  automobile, 
as  from  the  very  nature  of  its  use,  and  the  utility 
character  of  the  car, 
the  customer  and  man- 
ufacturer are  bound  to 
be  closely  associated 
with  each  other.  We 
believe  that  Locomo- 
bile service  is  as 
important  and  as  sat- 
isfactory as  the  Loco- 
mobile. 


4» 


CHAPTER    TWO 

MODEL  «L"  CAR 


HE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


CHAPTER     TWO 

THE    "30"    LOCOMOBILE,   TYPE  « L".      FOUR- 
CYLINDERS,    SHAFT-DRIVE 

Many  experienced  motorists  believe  that  the  ideal 
automobile  of  the  future  will  be  moderate  in  size 
and  power,  but  of  the  highest  quality  of  material  and 
workmanship.  They  consider  the  small  car  inadequate 
for  hard  daily  service  and  too  light  to  ride  comfortably ; 
they  regard  the  large  car  as  the  most  luxurious  type, 
though  not  the  most  convenient  and  economical  for 
ordinary  service. 

To  such  motorists  the  1911  "30"  Locomobile 
will  make  a  strong  appeal.  It  is  a  dependable  car  for 
all-round  service,  an  ideal  vehicle  for  the  purchaser 
who  desires  neither  a  small  car  nor  a  large  one,  but 
who  demands  safety  and  freedom  from  trouble  above 
all  other  considerations. 

The  best  features  of  both  types  are  combined  in 
the  "30"  Locomobile.  It  has  every  advantage  of  the 
small  car:  economy,  facility  of  operation,  and  handi- 
ness  for  city  use,  as  it  can  be  turned  without  backing 
in  a  35-foot  street. 

The  demountable  tires  are  large,  and  the 
weight  properly  distributed,  so  that  tire  trouble 


47 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

is  practically  eliminated  and  tire  wear  reduced 
to  a  minimum. 

The  "30"  has  an  abundance  of  power  for  all 
purposes,  and  is  used  with  invariable  success  on 
protracted  tours,  both  here  and  abroad.  Each  motor 
is  required  to  develop  38  horse-power;  the  four-speed 
transmission  enables  the  operator  to  select  instantly 
the  proper  gear  for  any  road  condition.  A  wheel  base 
of  1 20  inches,  combined  with  an  excellent  spring 
suspension,  large  tires,  and  proper  balancing  of  weight, 
produces  a  most  comfortable  car  —  one  that  rides  very 
easily  and  steadily  at  all  speeds.  It  has  sufficient 
weight  to  make  it  a  luxurious  automobile,  yet  it  is 
not  so  heavy  as  to  be  hard  on  tires  or  fatiguing  to 
drive.  The  "30"  Locomobile  runs  quietly  and 
smoothly,  picks  up  rapidly,  climbs  all  hills  satisfac- 
torily, and  is  equipped  with  powerful  brakes. 

All  bodies  for  the  1911  "30"  Locomobile  are 
of  the  new  four-door  type,  giving  greater  protection 
from  dust  and  wind  to  the  occupants  of  the  two  front 
seats.  Open  bodies  are  upholstered  in  the  best  wat^pr- 
grained  hand-buffed  leather. 

A  folding  and  adjustable  foot  rest  is  provided, 
also  a  sliding  coat  rail  made  adjustable  to  suit  the 
quantity  of  wraps  to  be  carried.  The  equipment 
includes  folding  cape  top  of  specially  selected,  durable 
waterproof  cloth,  with  side  curtains,  front  curtain 


LOCO       MOB       I 


BOOK 


SPECIFICATIONS   OF   THE  "30"   LOCOMOBILE 
TYPE  "L"  TOURING  CAR 


MOTOR 

Four-cylinder.  Bore,  4^ ".  Stroke, 
4 1^  ".  Horse-power  by  A.  L.  A.  M. 
Formula,  32$. 

CARBURETER 

Locomobile  design  and  construction. 
Float  feed,  single  jet  type. 

FUEL  SUPPLY 

1 8  gallons,  gravity  feed. 

IGNITION 

High-tension,  dual  system,  imported. 

COOLING 

Honeycomb  radiator  with  gear-driven 
centrifugal  pump. 

LUBRICATION 

Force  feed  from  oiler  through  hollow 
crank  shaft. 

OIL  CAPACITY 

Engine  oiler,  .9  gallons.  Extra  oil 
tank,  1.3  gallons. 

TRANSMISSION 

Four- speed  selective  transmission 
with  bronze  gear  case. 

CLUTCH 

Leather  faced  cone. 

DRIVE 

Propeller  shaft-drive  through  bevel 
gears  and  live  axles. 

FRAME 

Pressed  alloy  steel,  heat-treated. 

SPRINGS 

Semi-elliptic,  alloy  steel.  Front, 
38"  x  \y±".  Rear,  48"  x  i^". 


AXLES 

Front,  I-beam  section.  Rear,  full 
floating  type  with  alloy  steel  tubes 
and  live  axles. 

WHEELS 

Artillery  type,  34"  in  diameter. 

MEASUREMENTS 

Wheel  base,  1 20".  Extreme  width, 
5'  5".  Length,  over  all,  top 
lowered,  1 4'  6".  Extreme  height, 
top  raised,  7'  4". 

TIRES 

Demountable  type.  Front,  34"  x 
4#».  Rear,  34"  x  4^". 

BODY 

Four-door  Touring  Car,  seating  five 
passengers. 

UPHOLSTERING 

Hand-buffed  leather,  tufted. 

FINISH 

Optional  within  reasonable  limits. 

EQUIPMENT 

Close-coupled  headlights  with  gas 
tank.  Combination  oil  and  electric 
side  lamps  and  rear  lamp.  Storage 
battery,  top,  horn,  jack,  tool  bag 
and  kit  of  tools.  Tire  carrier,  tire 
tools,  tire  pump,  tire  repair  kit. 
Coat  rail,  foot  rest,  storm  apron 
for  front  seat. 

PRICE 

$3500,  including  above  equipment. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

and  cover,  also  storm  apron  for  front  seat.  The 
customer  is  given  his  choice  of  colors,  enabling  him 
to  have  a  car  that  is  an  expression  of  his  own  personal 
taste.  The  lamp  equipment  includes  acetylene  head- 
lights with  gas  tank,  and  combination  oil  and  electric 
lamps  at  the  sides  and  rear. 

Closed  bodies  are  upholstered  inside  with  the  finest 
quality  morocco  leather  or  imported  cloths  of  handsome 
pattern  and  delicate  shading,  finished  off  with  rich  laces, 
made  to  order  specially  to  match  the  material.  The 
front  seats  are  upholstered  in  durable  hand-buffed  leather. 
The  windows  are  of  plate  glass  with  silk  curtains  on 
spring  rollers.  The  front  division  is  composed  of  three 
glass  frames  and  the  wide  center  frame  can  be  lowered. 
The  side  windows  can  be  dropped  when  desired.  An 
electric  dome  light  with  frosted  glass  is  placed  in  the 
roof  and  operated  by  current  from  a  storage  battery. 
A  speaking  tube  enables  the  owner  of  the  car  to  give 
instructions  to  the  driver.  All  inside  fixtures  are  gun 
metal.  A  toilet  set  and  other  accessories  are  included 
in  the  equipment,  all  of  the  best  quality  and  made  to 
harmonize  with  the  luxurious  character  of  the  car. 

Doors  are  wide,  carefully  swung,  and  open  wide, 
affording  ease  of  exit  or  entrance  and  are  provided  with 
locks  so  they  can  be  fastened  when  car  is  left  standing. 
The  "  30  "  touring  chassis  with  heavier  springs,  carries 
the  standard  "30"  limousine  and  landaulet  bodies. 

s* 


s  '• ' 


q      o 


S, 


3     <u 
o    .-t, 

£ 
v 


54 


T  J,  H'j  E  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


The  ««  30  "  Locomobile,  Type  "  L  ",  Baby  Tonneau.       Four-cylinder, 

shaft-drive.      Equipped  with  34  x  4-inch  tires,  front  and  rear. 

Price,  $3500,  with  top  and  demountable  rims 

This  model  is  an  attractive  example  of  the 
"Roadster"  type,  wherein  the  steering  column  is 
inclined  at  a  sharper  angle  than  in  the  Touring  Car, 
the  hand  levers  are  placed  farther  back  on  the  frame, 
and  the  seats  are  lower.  The  result  is  a  car  of  trim 
smartness,  a  model  particularly  suited  to  those  who 
like  to  drive  their  own  cars. 

The  "30"  Baby  Tonneau  body  is  an  example  of 
the  new  enclosed  front,  so  popular  for  1911.  The  rear 
portion  of  the  body  is  in  the  form  of  a  light  two- 
passenger  tonneau  mounted  on  an  artillery  box.  If 
desired  the  tonneau  can  be  quickly  removed,  making 
a  two-passenger  runabout  with  a  flat  deck  at  the  rear, 
on  which  can  be  carried  luggage  and  extra  tires. 
This  arrangement  is  convenient  and  practical. 

55 


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The  "30"  Locomobile,  Type  "L",  Touring  Car.      Four-cylinder, 
shah-drive.    Equipped  with  34  x  4^ -inch  tires,  front  and  rear. 

Price,  $3500,  with  top  and  demountable  rims 
/ 

There  is  no  more  popular  type  than  the  open 
touring  car  with  five  -  passenger  body.  Our  "30" 
Touring  Car  for  1911  is  equipped  with  a  very  handsome 
body  of  the  four-door  type,  seating  five  adult  passengers 
very  comfortably.  It  is  handsome  and  commodious  in 
every  respect,  with  fifty-one-inch  rear  seat,  and  plenty 
of  foot  room  in  the  tonneau.  The  front  seat  is  divided, 
the  partition  having  a  compartment  for  gloves,  goggles, 
and  other  small  articles.  The  front  doors  are^  so 
designed  and  made  that  they  can  be  removed  if  desired. 

In  this  and  other  illustrations  that  follow,  the 
treatment  is  by  pure  outline,  omitting  top,  so  as  to 
accentuate  the  beauty  of  body  design  and  its  harmony 
with  the  chassis.  For  a  photographic  view  of  the 
"30"  Touring  Car  see  page  50. 

56 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


The  "30"  Locomobile,  Type  "L",  Torpedo.      Four-cylinder,  shaft-drive 

34  x  4-inch  tires,  front  and  rear.      Price,  $3700,  with 

top  and  demountable  rims 


This  model  consists  of  the  "30"  Roadster  type  of 
chassis,  equipped  with  a  very  graceful  flush-sided  body 
seating  four  passengers.  The  name  "Torpedo"  is 
most  often  applied  to  this  type  of  body  because  of  the 
similarity  of  its  construction  to  that  of  a  speed  boat. 
The  sides  are  smooth  like  the  freeboard  of  a  racing 
yacht,  and  the  side  lines  have  a  gentle  curve  from  front 
to  rear,  with  the  widest  part  in  the  center  of  the  body. 

The  seats  are  upholstered  in  smooth  leather,  the 
best  quality  hand-buffed  stock.  Seating  capacity  is 
provided  for  four  passengers. 


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The  "30"  Locomobile,  Type  "L",  Limousine.      Four-cylinder,  shaft-drive 
34  x  4^ -inch  tires,  front  and  rear.      Price,  $4600 

Numerous  advantages  combine  to  make  this 
handsome  model  the  logical  choice  of  the  purchaser 
who  wishes  a  closed  car  for  all-round  service.  It  is 
convenient  for  city  use,  as  it  can  be  turned  without 
backing  in  a  35-foot  street.  It  is  amply  powerful 
for  touring  and  is  perfect  for  suburban  driving  near  a 
large  city.  It  is  provided  with  a  chassis  so  reliable 
and  durable  that  it  is  always  ready  for  use. 

All  seats  face  forward  and  four  or  five  passengers 
can  be  carried  inside.  It  is  beautifully  upholstered, 
richly  finished  and  completely  equipped.  It  is  illustrated 
photographically,  both  exterior  and  interior,  on  pages 
46  and  66. 


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THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


The  "30"  Locomobile,  Type  "L",  Landaulet.     Four-cylinder,  shaft-drive. 
Equipped  with  34  x  4^ -inch  tires,  front  and  rear.      Price,  $4700 

The  Landaulet  has  always  been  a  fashionable 
carriage  type,  much  used  for  boulevard  and  park 
driving.  It  is  a  type  of  body  admirably  suited  to  the 
automobile  chassis,  because  it  partakes  of  the  advantages 
of  the  open  car  and  the  Limousine.  When  the  rear 
portion  is  raised  and  in  position  the  body  affords  all  the 
comfort  of  the  closed  car ;  when  the  top  connections 
are  unfastened,  the  top  lowered  and  the  windows 
dropped,  the  advantages  of  the  open  car  are  obtained. 
This  body  is  a  fine  example  of  coach  building  and  every 
precaution  is  taken  with  the  building  of  the  folding 
top  to  make  it  water-tight  under  all  conditions. 
Selected  top  leather  of  the  finest  quality  is  used. 


Interior  Views  of  Limousine 
66 


CHAPTER    THREE 

MODEL  "M"   CAR 


LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


CHAPTER     THREE 

THE    "48"    LOCOMOBILE,    TYPE    "  M " 
SIX-CYLINDER,    SHAFT-DRIVE 

This  is  an  entirely  new  model,  presented  in  1911 
for  the  first  time,  yet  is  the  result  of  four  years  of 
experiment  and  study.  It  will  recommend  itself  par- 
ticularly to  those  who  seek  the  utmost  in  luxury  and 
comfort.  Although  a  new  car,  it  is  a  typical  Locomobile 
in  strength  of  construction,  durability,  and  safety ;  and 
the  chassis  has  the  same  desirable  features  that  have 
characterized  the  Locomobile  product  in  past  years. 
Careful  students  of  automobile  design  declare  that  the 
abilities  of  the  six-cylinder  motor  in  the  direction  of 
flexibility  and  freedom  from  vibration  cannot  be  fully 
attained  by  the  four-cylinder  motor  of  fewer  parts. 
The  new  Type  "M",  six-cylinder  Locomobile,  has 
exceptional  advantages.  An  improved  system  of 
carburetion  is  one  of  the  strong  features  of  the  car, 
making  it  powerful  and  speedy,  yet  at  the  same  time 
economical  in  the  use  of  gasolene.  Another  feature 
is  the  compact  construction  of  the  motor,  which  results 
in  a  short  bonnet,  doing  away  with  the  ungainly  effect 
heretofore  peculiar  to  the  six-cylinder  automobile. 
The  bonnet  of  the  Type  "M"  Locomobile  is  only 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

5  inches  longer  than  the  bonnet  of  the  four-cylinder, 
seven-passenger  "40"  Locomobile. 

The  new  "Six"  is  equipped  with  high-tension 
dual  ignition,  reliable  in  operation,  and  affording  easy 
starting  of  the  motor.  The  shaft-drive  features  are 
those  of  the  highly  successful  "30"  Locomobile. 

The  "48"  Locomobile,  Type  "M",  is  intended 
particularly  as  a  seven-passenger  touring  car  of  the 
greatest  refinement  of  operation.  The  wheel  base  is 
135  inches,  and  excellent  spring  suspension  and  careful 
distribution  of  weight  make  it  a  car  of  the  greatest 
luxury  and  comfort. 

The  new  six-cylinder  Locomobile  is  speedy,  very 
powerful  on  hills,  and  has  an  especially  wide  range  of 
action  on  fourth  speed  by  means  of  the  throttle.  Such 
a  car  will  exactly  meet  the  requirements  of  many 
of  our  old  customers,  as  well  as  those  of  other  motorists 
who  have  never  owned  a  Locomobile.  Both  open  and 
closed  bodies  will  be  of  the  new  four-door  type,  of  the 
finest  quality,  showing  the  most  careful  attention  to 
every  detail  of  equipment  and  finish.  The  wheels^  are 
equipped  with  demountable  tires,  36  x  4-inch  front  and 
37  x  5-inch  rear.  In  a  car  of  this  size  it  is  not  practical 
or  proper  to  use  the  same  tire  on  all  four  wheels.  A 
substantial  tire  carrier  has  been  placed  at  the  rear  of 
the  car,  in  which  may  be  carried  one  extra  front  tire 
and  one  extra  rear  tire,  both  mounted  on  rims  and 


V, 

•-if-  O  « 


/  •  •  . 


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BOOK 


SPECIFICATIONS   OF   THE  "48"  LOCOMOBILE 
TYPE  "M"  TOURING  CAR 


MOTOR 

Six-cylinder.  Bore,  4^".  Stroke, 
41^".  Horse-power  by  A.  L.  A.  M. 
Formula,  48^. 

CARBURETER 

Locomobile  design  and  construction. 
Float  feed,  single  jet  type. 

FUEL  SUPPLY 

23  gallons,  gravity  feed. 

IGNITION 

High  tension,  dual  system,  imported. 

COOLING 

Honeycomb  radiator  with  gear-driven 
centrifugal  pump. 

LUBRICATION 

Motor  has  self-contained  oiling 
system.  Gear  pump  forces  oil 
from  reservoir  to  bearings  in  constant 
stream. 


OIL  CAPACITY 

2    gallons,    motor, 
auxiliary  tank. 


gallons, 


TRANSMISSION 

Four -speed    selective    transmission 
with  bronze  gear  case. 

CLUTCH 

Multiple  disc. 

DRIVE 

Propeller  shaft-drive  through  bevel 
gears  and  live  axles. 

FRAME 

Pressed  alloy  steel,  heat-treated. 


SPRINGS 

Front,  semi-elliptic,  38"  x  2". 
Rear,  three-quarter  elliptic,  48"!  2". 
All  alloy  steel. 

AXLES 

Front,  I-beam  section.  Rear,  full 
floating  type  with  alloy  steel  tubes 
and  live  axles. 

WHEELS 

Artillery  type,  36"  in  diameter. 

MEASUREMENTS 

Wheel  base,  135".  Extreme  width, 
top  lowered,  5'  J%".  Length  over 
all,  top  lowered,  16'  3".  Extreme 
height,  top  raised,  7'  5}^". 

TIRES 

Demountable  type.  Front,  36"  x  4". 
Rear,  37"  x  5". 

BODY 

Four-door  Touring  Car,  seating 
seven  passengers. 

UPHOLSTERING 

Hand-buffed  leather,  tufted. 

FINISH 

Optional  within  reasonable  limits. 

EQUIPMENT 

Close-coupled  headlights  with  gas 
tank.  Combination  oil  and  electric 
side  lamps  and  rear  lamp.  Storage 
battery,  top,  horn,  jack,  tool  bag  and 
kit  of  tools.  Tire  carrier,  tire  tools, 
tire  pump,  tire  repair  kit.  Coat  rail, 
foot  rest,  storm  apron  for  front  seat. 

PRICE 

$4800,  including  above  equipment. 


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BOOK 


The   "48"   Touring  Chassis 

inflated  for  use.  All  cars  are  equipped  with  large 
and  powerful  acetylene  headlights  and  gas  tank  for 
same,  combination  oil  and  electric  lamps  at  sides  and 
at  rear.  A  folding  cape  top  of  the  best  quality  of 
waterproof  cloth  with  detachable  side  and  rear  curtains 
are  included  in  the  equipment  at  the  list  price,  also  a 
rubber  boot  or  storm  apron  for  the  front  seat,  which 
fastens  under  the  steering  wheel.  A  complete  set  of 
tools  is  furnished  in  a  neat  tool  bag,  together  with 
certain  extra  parts. 

The  " 48  "  Locomobile,  Type  "M"  chassis,  r is 
produced  in  touring  car  and  roadster  form.  In  the 
latter,  the  steering  column  is  inclined  at  a  sharper 
angle  than  in  the  touring  car,  and  the  hand  levers  are 
placed  farther  back  on  the  frame.  Luxurious  closed 
bodies  are  placed  on  the  Standard  Touring  Chassis, 
with  heavier  springs  to  carry  the  increased  load. 


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BOOK 


The  "48"   Locomobile,  Type  "M",  Torpedo.       Six-cylinder,  shaft-drive 

Tires,  36  x  4  inches,  front,  and  36  x  4^  inches,  rear. 

Price,  $4800,  with  top  and  demountable  rims 


This  model  consists  of  a  very  attractive  torpedo 
body  placed  on  the  Type  "  M "  roadster  chassis,  in 
which  the  angle  of  inclination  of  the  steering  column 
is  greater  than  that  on  the  touring  car  chassis,  the 
levers  are  placed  farther  back  on  the  frame,  and 
the  seats  are  lower.  This  car  is  an  excellent  example 
of  the  type  of  automobile  which  is  designed  with  a 
view  to  being  operated  largely  by  the  owner.  Seating 
capacity  is  provided  for  four  passengers,  two  in  front 
and  two  in  the  rear,  and  all  seats  are  comfortably 
upholstered  in  tufted  hand-buffed  leather.  This  model 
is  illustrated  photographically,  on  page  118. 


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The  "  48  "  Locomobile,  Type  "  M  ",  Touring  Car.     Six-cylinder,  shaft-drive 

Tires,  36  x  4  inches,  front,  and  37  x  5  inches,  rear.      Price,  $4800 

including  top  and  demountable  rims 

This  model  is  the  "last  word"  in  luxury  and 
refinement.  It  is  provided  with  a  handsome  body 
of  the  four-door  type,  commodious  and  roomy,  with 
seating  capacity  for  seven  passengers.  The  design 
accords  with  approved  style;  is  refined  and  elegant. 
The  body  is  upholstered  in  hand-buffed  leather,  tufted, 
with  deep  luxurious  cushions.  The  rear  seat  is  very 
comfortable,  with  plenty  of  room  for  three  passengers, 
and  the  extra  seats  in  the  tonneau  are  designed  for 
comfort  on  a  long  tour,  being  folded  against  and 
secured  to  the  sides  of  the  body  when  not  in  use. 
The  illustration  of  this  model  and  the  others  that 
follow  are  in  simple  outline,  omitting  tops,  to  give  a 
better  idea  of  the  body  lines.  For  specifications  and 
photographic  illustration,  see  pages  72  and  73. 

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O      O 


The  "48"   Locomobile,  Type  "M",  Limousine.       Six-cylinder,  shaft-drive 
Tires,  36  x  4  inches,  front,  and  37x5  inches,  rear.      Price,  $6050 

This  new  closed  car  is  designed  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  those  who  desire  a  large  and  powerful 
limousine  with  ample  seating  capacity  for  seven 
passengers.  The  Type  "  M "  Limousine  is  very 
handsome  and  commodious,  seating  five  passengers 
very  comfortably  inside,  and  having  a  wide  rear  seat 
and  exceedingly  comfortable  extra  chairs.  As  in  the 
"30"  Limousine,  all  seats  face  forward.  The  body 
is  a  beautiful  example  of  coach  building  and  is  very 
durably  constructed. 

The  inside  upholstery  is  very  luxurious,  consisting 
either  of  tufted  morocco  leather  or  imported  fabric  of 
handsome  design,  and  finished  off  with  rich  laces,  made 


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The  "48"   Locomobile,  Type  "M",   Landaulet.      Six-cylinder,    shaft-drive 
Tires,  36  x  4  inches,  front,  and  37  x  5  inches,  rear.      Price,  $6150 

specially  to  match  the  upholstery.  The  front  and  side 
windows  may  be  dropped  in  summer  when  touring,  the 
rear  window  being  fixed.  The  equipment  provides  a 
speaking  tube,  an  electric  dome  light  with  frosted  glass 
placed  in  the  roof  and  operated  by  current  from  a 
storage  battery,  as  well  as  a  handsome  toilet  set,  arm 
rests  and  other  handsome  appointments.  The  doors 
open  wide,  giving  plenty  of  room  for  entrance  or  exit, 
and  are  provided  with  locks,  so  that  they  can  be  secured 
when  the  car  is  left  standing.  All  windows  are  of 
the  best  French  plate  glass  and  are  provided  with  silk 
curtains  mounted  on  spring  rollers  of  a  shade  to 
correspond  with  the  other  fixtures. 

78 


CHAPTER    FOUR 

ROUND   THE  WORLD 


1 


A  Ferry  in  Ceylon 


Who  has  the  right  of  way  ?      Near  Kandy,  Ceylon 
82 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER     FOUR 

ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    A    LOCOMOBILE* 

"  Mrs.  Harriet  Clark  Fisher  started  on  her  world 
journey,  July  19,  1909.  It  ended  on  August  16, 
1910,  making  her  tour  a  year  and  one  month  lacking 
three  days. 

"  Mrs.  Fisher's  party  included  Mr.  Harold  Fisher 
Brooks,  a  nephew,  who  has  a  responsible  position  in 
the  management  of  her  anvil  works,  and  who  drove 
the  car  ;  Albert  Bachellor,  cook,  secretary,  and  man 
of  all  work,  and  Maria,  Italian  maid. 

" '  I  had  everything  built  to  order  with  a  view  to 
economy  of  space  and  weight,  at  the  same  time 
securing  al^  the  comfort  and  convenience  possible/ 
said  Mrs.  Fisher  in  describing  her  equipment.  *  I 
had  a  celebrated  tent  maker  of  Paris  construct  my 
tent,  and  when  I  called  for  it,  it  was  all  folded  and 
ready  for  delivery,  the  maker  assuring  me  that  every- 
thing was  all  right.  I  was  not  satisfied  with  buying 
a  tent  that  way  and  told  him  I  wanted  to  see  the  tent 
set  up  and  to  understand  its  workings.  He  said  this 
could  not  be  done  except  in  the  street  and  if  he 

*The  description  of  this  unique  trip  is  taken  from  an  illustrated  story  printed  in  the  Ne*w 
Tork  Herald,  August  21,  1910. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

attempted  that  the  gendarme  would  arrest  him.  I 
sent  my  interpreter  to  the  gendarme,  who  good 
naturedly  consented  to  allow  the  inspection,  and  the 
tent  was  spread  in  the  Place  Vendome,  Paris,  attracting 
a  large  crowd  and  several  newspaper  photographers/ 

"  *  We  carried  a  tent/  said  Mrs.  Fisher,  in  describing 
her  equipment,  'several  cooking  utensils,  a  large  tea 
basket  full  of  china,  and  two  trunks.  We  roughed  it 
all  along  the  roads,  sending  ahead  by  express,  trunks 
containing  clothing  necessary  for  our  appearance  at 
social  functions. 

"  '  Our  tank  contained  forty-two  gallons  of  gasolene 
and  we  had  an  extra  tank  under  the  tonneau,  which 
allowed  us  to  cover  375  miles  easily.  We  had  to  buy 
our  gasolene  and  send  it  ahead  to  points  nearest  our 
stopping  places,  and  frequently  go  after  our  supplies 
in  bullock  carts. 

"  « We  left  New  York  with  eight  tires,  four  on  the 
machine  and  four  extra  ones,  and  strange  to  say  they 
lasted  us  throughout  our  journey  until  we  reached  our 
own  country.  Then  we  used  up  twelve  more  tiroes, 
making  twenty  all  told/ 

"  Mrs.  Fisher  was  enthusiastic  over  the  fine  roads 
they  found  in  India,  where  they  drove  over  a  stretch 
of  road  i  200  miles  long  and  as  level  as  a  floor. 

"  '  In  Japan  the  roads  were  perfect/  she  said,  '  and 
in  both  countries  I  was  given  every  assistance.  In 


A  Dak  Bungalow  at  Burdwan,  Bengal,  India.      One  of  the  Government  rest  houses 


Waiting  for  Ferry,  Kalyan,  India.      The  tires  are  covered  to  protect  them  from  the  sun 

86 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

India  I  was  escorted  for  miles  into  the  country,  and, 
as  I  went  to  Japan  with  the  Gaekwar  of  Baroda 
and  his  party,  I  was  treated  as  a  guest  of  the  Mikado, 
whose  emissaries  escorted  me  and  furnished  me  with 
important  maps/ 

"  Mrs.  Fisher  was  enthusiastic  in  her  praise  of  her 
Locomobile. 

"'Just  to  think/  she  said,  'we  made  the  trip 
around  the  world,  over  all  sorts  of  roads,  across  deserts 
of  hot  sand,  down  precipitous  mountain  sides  and 
through  rivers,  without  mishap  more  serious  than 
blowing  out  of  tires,  and  breaking  of  the  pet  cock  on 
the  oil  tank.  Our  greatest  annoyances  occurred  after 
our  return  to  our  own  country.  I  don't  believe  that 
any  other  car  could  have  stood  a  stronger  test,  and  I 
want  Mr.  Brooks  to  have  all  the  credit  for  taking  the 
car  over  its  remarkable  journey,  for  he  certainly  used 
rare  judgment  in  handling  the  machine  and  getting  us 
out  of  uncomfortable  situations. 

"'The  only  assistance  we  had  to  have  was  in 
crossing  the  Tapi  River,  in  Southern  India.  The 
Tapi  is  a  broad,  shallow  river,  with  sandy  bottom  — 
too  shallow  to  require  a  bridge,  and  yet  too  deep  for 
us  to  get  through  with  our  own  power.  As  was  the  case 
everywhere  we  traveled,  the  government  gave  us  every 
possible  assistance,  and  you  may  be  sure  we  were  a 
picturesque  group  hitched  to  sixteen  pairs  of  oxen 

87 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

and  escorted  by  a  dozen  native  policemen,  with  their 
heads  bound  up  in  great  white  turbans  and  splashing 
bare  legged  through  the  water  on  either  side  of  us. 
Our  luggage  and  equipment  followed  us  on  ox  carts, 
while  a  curious  crowd  watched  us  from  the  banks, 
many  of  the  boys  following  into  the  water  knee  deep.' 

"Mrs.  Fisher  has  resumed  the  active  management 
of  her  factory  in  Trenton,  and  it  was  there  in  her 
office,  overlooking  the  Delaware,  that  the  Herald 
reporter  found  her  taking  up  the  threads  of  business 
where  she  left  off  a  year  ago.  She  is  proud  of  her 
shop  and  of  her  men,  and  takes  pleasure  in  showing 
one  through  the  plant  and  discussing  improvements. 
On  the  river  front  of  the  shop  is  a  flourishing  cornfield, 
and  it  is  on  this  ground  that  she  hopes  to  build 
homes  for  all  her  men  and  their  families.  Romping 
about  the  place  was  her  pet  Boston  bull  terrier, 
Honk-Honk,  who  made  the  trip  around  the  world 
with  his  mistress. 

'"Oh,  you  must  come  up  to  the  house  and  see 
Billikens,'  she  said,  and  into  the  very  machine,  in 
which  the  world  tour  was  made,  the  big,  gray 
Locomobile,  with  its  paint  rubbed  off,  its  sides 
scratched  and  its  leather  parts  worn  to  a  frazzle,  the 
reporter  was  whisked,  and  the  way  in  which  the  Fisher 
home  was  reached  showed  that  the  car  had  lost  none 
of  its  speed  or  power  by  its  twenty-thousand-mile  run. 


Crossing  the  Fuji  Rapids,  Japan.      (  Taken  in  the  rain  ) 


A  Camp  in  the  Hakone  Mountains,  Japan.      (  Taken  just  after  daybreak  ) 

90 


MOBILE  BOOK 


"  Billikens  is  a  minute  monkey  who  became  a  part 
of  Mrs.  Fisher's  entourage  at  Ceylon,  and  immediately 
became  the  playmate  of  Honk-Honk,  the  Boston 
bull  terrier. 

"The  Fisher  home  is  now  a  museum  of  travel 
souvenirs  and  of  American  Beauty  roses,  her  favorite 
flower.  The  most  striking  souvenir  is  a  collection  of 
miniature  figures  representing  all  the  servants  of  an 
Indian  household,  and  trades  people.  These  were 
given  to  her  at  a  dinner  in  Calcutta.  These  remark- 
able little  figures  are  fashioned  of  native  clay,  perfect 
in  detail,  natural  in  pose,  and  draped  in  most  realistic 
style  by  the  wife  of  their  creator,  who  is  the  only 
artist  of  his  kind  in  Calcutta. 

" '  Now  that  I  am  back  home  again/  said  Mrs. 
Fisher,  *  I  have  to  look  hard  at  these  souvenirs  in 
order  to  realize  that  the  whole  thing  has  not  been  a 
dream.  My  tour  was  like  a  journey  through  fairyland. 
I  seem  to  bear  a  charmed  life.  Time  and  again, 
quite  unknown  to  us,  we  were  on  the  brink  of  disaster, 
but  always  something  interposed  between  us  and  what 
seemed,  at  least,  injury  and  possible  death. 

"'Once,  in  Japan,  after  we  had  left  Atami  and 
gone  through  the  famous  pass  outside  the  city,  and  were 
proceeding  along  the  narrow  winding  road  opposite 
Hakonc  mountain,  something  within  prompted  me  to 
say  "stop".  We  got  out  of  the  car  and  went  forward 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

a  few  feet  to  find  that  the  bridge  had  been  entirely 
destroyed  by  fire  and  that  foot  travelers  had  laid  a  few 
bamboo  poles  and  rubbish  across  the  place  to  enable 
them  to  pass.  Had  we  not  stopped  at  the  instant  I 
shouted,  we  would  have  plunged  over  a  precipice 
several  hundred  feet  below  to  instant  death.  It  was 
impossible  for  us  to  turn  back,  so  we  pitched  our  tent 
and  made  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  we  could  on  this 
narrow  mountain  road,  while  the  men  went  back  for 
assistance.  The  government  at  once  sent  a  small 
army  of  laborers  and  built  a  new  bridge  for  us.  Such 
courtesies  were  extended  to  us  on  every  hand,  the 
Japanese  government  lending  me  valuable  maps  and 
guide  books  which  I  am  under  an  oath  to  return. 

"  *  Another  thrilling  experience  was  that  of  crossing 
the  Fuji  river  in  Japan.  The  big  Locomobile  was 
run  onto  a  raft  built  of  two  boats  lashed  together 
and  covered  with  boards.  On  this  we  embarked  and 
were  in  tow  of  a  tugboat,  when  the  bamboo  poles 
holding  the  tow  line  parted  and  the  raft  drifted 
helplessly  upon  the  rocks  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 
The  machine  could  not  be  gotten  off,  so  a  pontoon 
bridge  was  built  in  sections  out  to  the  raft  and  the  car 
run  off  onto  the  bridge.  Then  another  section  of  bridges 
was  built  and  the  car  transferred,  until  they  finally 
landed  us  on  the  opposite  shore  after  many  hours  of 
labor  and  anxiety. 

92 


In  the  sage  brush.      Nevada,  U.  S.  A. 


Where  the  party  stayed  at  Lucin,  Utah 
94 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

"'But  don't  think  that  the  tour  was  one  succession 
of  narrow  escapes.  Far  from  it.  It  was  rather  one 
continuous  and  splendid  reception,  intermingled  with 
amusing  incidents  from  the  time  I  crossed  the  Turkish 
border  until  I  left  the  shores  of  Japan.  It  was  more 
the  tour  of  a  royal  personage  than  that  of  a  simple 
American  woman  traveling  for  her  health. 

"'When  I  left  the  United  States  my  first  objective 
point  was  Contrexville,  France,  where  I  had  planned 
to  take  the  cure.  My  few  weeks'  stay  there,  where  I 
met  many  old  friends  and  acquaintances  of  Europe,  with 
daily  automobile  trips  'round  about  and  short  tours 
through  the  country,  soon  restored  me  to  health. 
My  triumphs  began  here  where  my  car  won  the  best 
cup  and  two  medals  in  an  automobile  tournament. 
From  here  I  went  to  beautiful  Lake  Como,  where 
I  have  my  villa  and  keep  my  American  built  yacht. 
Again  my  good  fairy  looked  after  me,  for  in  the  annual 
regatta  my  yacht,  the  Carlotta,  won  the  Marchesa 
Trotti  Cup  for  speed  and  for  being  the  best  decorated 
yacht  on  the  lake.  After  this,  everywhere  I  traveled 
was  among  and  over  flowers. 

" '  I  left  Italy  when  the  peach  trees  were  in  blossom, 
and  toured  Japan  with  the  petals  of  cherry  blossoms 
strewing  our  path.  I  have  spent  many  summers  at 
my  Italian  villa  (The  Villa  Carlotta),  and  have  met 
and  entertained  there  many  notable  persons  from  all 

95 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

over  the  world.  It  was  at  Como  that  I  met  His 
Highness  the  Maharajah  Bahadur  of  Benares,  who  so 
royally  entertained  me  in  India,  and  through  him 
met  His  Highness  the  Gaekwar  of  Baroda  and  his 
interesting  family,  who  invited  me  to  spend  several 
weeks  at  their  palace.' 

"  When  her  party  reached  the  outposts  of  the 
province  ruled  by  Sir  Prabnu  Narayan  Singh,  His 
Highness  sent  the  royal  coach,  in  charge  of  his  private 
secretary,  with  two  coachmen,  two  footmen,  and  two 
outrunners  to  meet  Mrs.  Fisher.  When  the  party 
reached  the  Ganges,  opposite  the  palace,  Mrs.  Fisher 
was  carried  from  the  coach  in  a  '  dandy '  by  four 
liveried  servants,  and  boarded  the  private  yacht  of  the 
ruler  and  was  ferried  across  to  the  marble  landing 
leading  up  to  the  palace.  The  landing  and  steps  were 
covered  with  red  velvet,  and  during  Mrs.  Fisher's 
entire  visit  to  the  potentate  her  feet  were  not  permitted 
to  touch  the  earth. 

"In  his  palace  she  met  many  of  the  Indian  and 
British  notables  and  on  the  occasion  of  a  state  dinner 
Mrs.  Fisher  was  decorated  by  His  Highness,  who 
placed  about  her  neck  a  necklace  of  spun  gold  and  retl 
silk,  red  and  gold  being  the  colors  of  her  host. 

"Mrs.  Fisher  was  also  entertained  for  several  days 
by  the  very  wealthy  merchant,  Matilal  Nehru  and  his 
wife,  in  their  wonderful  palace,  Anand  Bhawan,  at 
Allahabad,  India.  Mrs.  Clark  Fisher  is  the  only 
white  woman  who  ever  slept  in  this  beautiful  palace." 


CHAPTER    FIVE 

IMPORTANT    SERVICE 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    FIVE 

LOCOMOBILES   FOR   IMPORTANT   SERVICE 

The  strength  of  the  Locomobile  chassis  is  well 
shown  by  its  record  wherever  it  has  been  used  for 
important  service  year  after  year.  There  is  no  more 
severe  test  of  a  car  than  daily  duty,  which  must  be 
accomplished  without  fail  and  without  delay.  Such 
conditions  do  not  exist  in  an  ordinary  garage  where 
the  car  is  rarely  used  every  day,  and  where  momentary 
delays  are  unimportant.  We  have  delivered  in  the  past 
few  years  a  considerable  number  of  cars  intended  for 
important  business  and  municipal  service  and  the 
demand  for  these  cars  resulted  from  the  reputation  of  the 
Locomobile  for  standing  up  to  hard  service  and  doing 
its  work,  year  after  year,  in  the  hands  of  private  owners. 

Some  years  ago  we  delivered  to  a  large  newspaper 
in  Greater  New  York  a  standard  Locomobile  chassis 
with  a  light  delivery  body  for  the  purpose  of  transfer- 
ring newspapers  from  the  publishing  office  to  trains 
and  newsdealers  in  the  briefest  possible  time.  The 
newspaper  was  the  famous  Daily  Eagle  of  Brooklyn. 

It  may  be  stated  that  in  this  case  the  car  was  a 
standard  1907  Locomobile  20  horse-power  chassis,  and 
that  consistent  daily  service  was  demanded  of  it.  The 

99 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

work  done  by  this  car  was  so  satisfactory  that  there 
are  now  five  cars  in  use  and  more  have  been  recently 
ordered.  The  original  car  is  still  running  and  giving 
satisfaction  after  several  years  of  service. 

In  December,  1908 — three  years  ago — we  delivered 
to  the  city  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  a  standard  40  horse- 
power chassis,  equipped  with  a  special  body  having 
room  for  eight  or  ten  firemen  and  a  complete  chemical 
engine  outfit.  After  this  car  had  been  in  use  over  two 
years  it  had  answered  over  1000  alarms  of  fire  and  its 
record  is  well  described  in  the  following  letter  from 
the  Bridgeport  fire  chief,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry: 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT 

CHIEF    ENGINEER'S    OFFICE,    274    MIDDLE    STREET 
NO.    1    CHEMICAL    HOUSE 

BRIDGEPORT,  CONN.,   February  26,   1910 

Dear  Sir:  In  reply  to  yours  of  February  loth,  would 
state  that  we  have  a  Locomobile  automobile  chemical  engine 
which  gives  perfect  satisfaction.  It  has  been  in  use  about 
26  months  and  has  not  yet  failed  in  responding  to  an  alarm. 
It  has  traveled  2500  miles  and  has  answered  1000  alarms.  It 
took  the  place  of  a  horse-drawn  chemical  which  reported  to 
alarms  of  fire  within  a  radius  of  a  mile.  The  auto  chemical 
covers  the  entire  city,  a  radius  of  about  14  square  miles. 

Its  speed  is  about  fifty  miles  an  hour,  and  it  costs  about 
one-half  as  much  to  maintain  it  as  it  does  to  maintain  a  horse- 
drawn  chemical.     I  consider  it  a  thoroughly  practical  machine. 
Very  truly  yours, 

EDWARD  MOONEY,  Chief. 


100 


A  large  livery  firm  in  San  Francisco  uses  a  number  of  Locomobiles  for  daily  service 

I    I 


:  d$'$tyfe i^Qlvig' s  Model  "  L  ",  Locomobile,  bought  to  use  in  road  tests  in  giving 
licenses  to  chauffeurs  under  new  New  York  State  law 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  good  work  done  by  this  car  influenced  the 
city  of  Bridgeport  to  purchase  a  Locomobile  touring 
car  for  the  use  of  the  fire  chief,  as  well  as  a  city 
ambulance,  and  a  police  patrol  wagon.  These  cars 
were  standard  chassis  with  special  bodies  mounted  on 
same.  The  remarkable  performance  of  the  Bridgeport 
Chemical  Locomobile  brought  inquiries  from  all  over 
the  country  and  as  a  result  we  have  delivered  a  number 
of  similar  cars,  which  have  been  used  with  the  greatest 
success  and  satisfaction.  Every  large  fire  must  have 
its  incipient  stage  and  if  the  fire  apparatus  can  reach 
the  point  of  alarm  early  enough  the  fire  can  be  checked 
before  it  makes  great  headway.  A  strong  and  speedy 
chemical  engine,  like  the  one  in  use  in  the  Bridgeport 
Fire  Department,  demonstrated  this  beyond  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  of  the  fire  commissioners.  A 
list  of  Locomobiles  used  for  important  service  in  a 
similar  manner  is  given  below : 

Waterbury,  Conn.,  Chemical  Engine. 

Waterbury,  Conn.,  Hose  Cart. 

New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Combination  Chemical 

and  Hose  Cart. 

New  Bedford,   Mass.,  Chemical  and  Hose  Cart. 
Stamford,  Conn.,  Chemical  and  Hose  Cart. 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  Chemical  Engine. 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  Chemical  and  Hose  Cart. 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Salvage  Corps  Wagon. 

103 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Car  for  Fire  Chief. 
Newark,  N.  J.,  Salvage  Corps  Wagon. 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  Chemical  Engine. 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  Chief's  Wagon. 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  Chemical  Engine. 

The  good  service  rendered  by  the  Newark  Salvage  Corps 
Car,  has  recently  resulted  in  the  order  for  a  second  Loco- 
mobile Chassis  to  be  used  for  the  same  duty. 

In  1904  Chief  Thomas  F.  Lally,  of  the  Brooklyn 
Fire  Department,  purchased  a  four-cylinder  Locomo- 
bile for  .his  use  in  answering  alarms.  This  is  still 
used  as  a  reserve  car  after  six  years  of  work. 

We  also  call  attention  to  the  record  of  the  Loco- 
mobile in  the  St.  Louis  Fire  Department.  Chief 
Charles  E.  Swingley  has  used  the  Locomobile  car  ever 
since  1905  for  his  own  personal  use,  and  as  a  result  of 
the  good  showing  the  Locomobile  made  in  his  hands, 
a  Locomobile  chassis  was  purchased  by  the  Salvage 
Corps  of  that  city.  The  last  annual  record  of  the 
Salvage  Corps  gave  the  following  significant  compara- 
tive statement: 

NO.  1,  NO.  2  AND  NO.  4  HORSE-DRAWN 
APPARATUS  COMPANIES 

Extinguished  unaided  .  .  .  Fifteen  Fires 
Insurance  involved  .....  $71,800 
Losses  paid 348 

104 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

NO.  3  MOTOR-DRIVEN  APPARATUS  COMPANY 

Extinguished  unaided     .     .     Forty-two  Fires 

Insurance  involved $ 2 50,800 

Losses  paid       .......  I>572 

Chief  Edward  F.  Dahill,  of  the  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  Fire  Department,  answering  an  inquiry, 
described  the  Locomobile  chemical  and  hose  cart  first 
purchased  by  that  city,  as  follows  : 

We  have  only  one  piece  of  automobile  fire  apparatus  at 
present,  a  combination  of  chemical  and  hose  wagon  that  was 
built  for  us  by  the  Locomobile  Company  of  America,  at 
Bridgeport,  Conn.  The  city  is  so  well  pleased  with  the  work 
of  this  one  that  we  are  at  present  trying  to  get  the  Locomobile 
Company  to  build  us  an  auto  engine  for  pumping  water,  to 
take  the  place  of  steam  fire  engines. 

The  writer  spent  five  years  working  iron  and  steel,  and 
last  October  spent  one  week  at  the  Locomobile  plant  to  get 
instructed  in  regard  to  operating  the  auto  chemical.  I  was 
so  favorably  impressed  with  the  excellence  of  the  materials 
used  and  the  class  of  work  at  this  factory,  that  I  take  pleasure 
in  stating  that  I  believe  Locomobile  construction  to  be  equal 
to  if  not  better  than  any  other  American  car. 

Trusting  the  above  covers  your  inquiry,  I  am, 
Yours  truly, 

E.  F.  DAHILL,  Chief  Engineer. 

The  satisfactory  performance  of  this  car  has  induced 
the  New  Bedford  Fire  Department  to  add  a  similar 
vehicle  to  its  equipment. 

105 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

A  recent  appreciation  of  the  Locomobile  is  shown 
by  the  purchase  of  a  standard  "  30 "  Roadster  by 
Secretary  of  State  Samuel  S.  Koenig,  of  New  York,  to 
be  used  for  the  examination  of  chauffeurs  for  licenses 
under  the  recent  New  York  State  law.  Such  service 
necessitates  a  car  of  standard  up-to-date  design  and 
able  to  stand  up  to  hard  work  every  day. 

For  a  number  of  years  Locomobile  cars  have  been 
used  with  great  success  in  City  Department  Service 
for  very  important  work,  as  will  be  indicated  by  the 
following  list : 

New  York,  Dock  Department  (three  cars). 

New  York,  Board  of  Water  Supply. 

New  York,  Finance  Department  (two  cars). 

New  York,  Department  Public  Works. 

New  York,  Borough  of  Richmond. 

New  York,  Department  of  Gas  and  Electricity. 

Brooklyn  Fire  Department  (two  cars). 

Brooklyn  Police  Department  (two  cars). 

Baltimore,   Md.,   Police  Department,  4  patrol 

wagons. 
Baltimore,  Md.,  Police  Department,  Marshall 

car. 
Chicago,   111.,  car    for   Capt.    Richards,  South 

Park  Commissioner. 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  Mayor's  car. 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Board  of  Park  Commissioners. 

1 06 


Fairmount  Hotel,  San  Francisco 
The  Locomobile  cars  used  by  this  hotel  for  the  service  of  guests 


Locomobiles  being  used  by  a  forwarding  company.      Illustrates  the  strength  of 
the  Locomobile  chassis 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  first  patrol  wagon  purchased  by  the  city  of 
Baltimore  for  use  in  the  Police  Department,  was  found 
to  be  so  valuable  that  it  enabled  the  department  to 
dispose  of  three  wagons  and  eight  horses.  The  car 
was  so  efficient  that  the  city  ordered  three  more.  The 

m 

record  of  this  car  is  very  clearly  set  forth  in  the 
following  extracts  from  an  address  made  by  Marshal 
Farnan  of  the  Baltimore  Police  Department  at  the 
Convention  of  the  International  Association  of  Police 
Chiefs: 

"It  will  comfortably  carry  16  ,men,  and  in  an 
emergency  21  can  be  crowded  into  it.  It  has  been 
in  service  a  year  and  in  that  time  has  not  cost  a  cent 
for  repairs  and  has  not  been  out  of  service  a  day. 
Taking  it,  all  in  all,  and  counting  its  expeditious  service, 
it  has  proven  more  satisfactory,  more  economical  and 
more  reliable  than  the  horse-drawn  wagons.  In 
performing  its  services  in  the  Central  Station,  and 
other  stations  to  which  it  has  been  called  in  emer- 
gencies, it  has  covered  9000  miles  over  rough  streets, 
up  and  down  hills  and  upon  all  kinds  of  roads  when 
necessary  on  'hurry  up'  trips  to  the  suburban  sections. 

"  On  September  9th  last,  the  second,  a  30  horse- 
power, shaft-drive,  was  purchased  and  assigned  for  use 
at  police  headquarters.  This  last  car  has  proved  such 
a  valuable  addition  to  our  equipment  that  I  wonder 
how  we  got  along  without  it. 

109 


H 


L      O      C      O       M      O      B       I 


BOOK 


"  Our  department  has  recently  purchased  three 
additional  patrol  wagons  which  will  be  delivered  next 
month  and  we  will  welcome  their  arrival,  for  they 
will  still  further  add  to  our  efficiency/' 


iio 


CHAPTER    SIX 

ENDORSEMENT 


HE  LOCOMOBILE  BOO 


CHAPTER    SIX 

ENDORSEMENTS 

A  letter  of  endorsement  is  valuable  only  when  it  comes 
from  some  one  who  has  used  an  article  long  enough 
to  appreciate  its  permanent  worth. 

GREENWICH,  CONN.,  March  14,  1910 

'The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Gentlemen :  Replying  to  your  inquiry  of  the  1 5th  ult., 
you  are  advised  that  fortunately  I  am  the  owner  of  a  1908 
Model  "E"  Locomobile,  No.  1769,  purchased  through 
Allen  Asten  Co.,  now  Allen  Brothers. 

Furthermore,  I  use  it  every  day,  rain  or  shine  —  never 
have  any  trouble  with  it ;  in  fact,  for  my  own  use,  I  would 
not  trade  it  for  any  car  I  know  of.  I  intend  sometime  to 
get  a  larger  car,  but  will  not  get  rid  of  this  one. 

Yours  very  truly, 


113 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  April  28,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Gentlemen:  I  had  some  correspondence  with  you  last 
winter  relative  to  a  trip  which  I  was  about  to  make  to  Jamaica, 
and  I  believe  I  promised  you  some  photographs. 

I  spent  a  portion  of  January,  February  and  March  in 
Jamaica,  and  found  it  an  ideal  place  for  winter  automobiling. 
The  ships  of  the  Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Co.,  or  the  United 
Fruit  Line  Co.,  carry  automobiles  uncrated  for  $35.00  or 
$40.00,  so  that  it  is  very  easy  to  take  a  car  from  New  York. 

In  Jamaica  there  are  some  2000  miles  of  roads  of  good 
surface.  The  island,  however,  is  mountainous  and  a  good  car 
and  a  good  driver  are  the  essentials  of  safe  automobiling. 
The  climate  is  ideal  and  the  scenery  very  beautiful. 

I  enclose  herewith  a  number  of  photographs  which  I  took, 
all  of  which  show  the  Locomobile. 

Aside  from  a  little  tire  trouble,  we  had  no  difficulty  of  any 
sort  with  the  Locomobile,  and  it  continued  to  prove  itself  a 
perfect  touring  car.  Although  some  of  the  grades  are  very 
severe  (one  hill,  7^  miles  long,  rising  about  3500  feet),  I  think 
during  our  entire  time  on  the  Island  we  were  not  on  first  speed 
more  than  1 5  minutes.  We  did  most  of  the  hill  work^  on 
third  speed,  but  where  the  mountain  roads  zigzagged  it  was 
necessary  to  take  the  curves  on  second  speed. 

Yours  truly, 


114 


COMOBILE  BOO 


Readiness    to   run    every   day   without   trouble   is   the 
principal  requirement  of  most  owners. 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  February  25,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 

j6th  Street  and  Broadway 

New  York 

Gentlemen:  I  am  now  getting  ready  for  my  third  year 
with  the  little  Type  <c  E  "  car  which  you  rebuilt  for  me  in 
1907,  and  the  car  is  still  in  excellent  condition.  I  have  had 
no  repair  bills,  and  know  nothing  of  "  engine  troubles".  I 
am  now  well  satisfied  that  a  "used"  Locomobile  properly 
overhauled  will  give  more  service  and  more  comfort  than  any 
new  car  of  the  cheaper  makes.  In  covering  a  distance  of  four 
thousand  miles  I  have  never  once  had  to  get  out  and  "  see 
what  was  the  matter".  I  write  because  I  think  it  is  fair 
you  should  know  this,  and  not  because  I  am  looking  for 
any  favors. 

Yours  very  truly 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

A  Locomobile  two  years  old  on  a  foreign  tour.  The 
following  is  a  brief  extract  from  "Motoring 
Abroad"  by  Mr.  Frank  Presbrey  of  New  York. 
Many  motorists  have  read  this  charming  book. 
The  car  Mr.  Presbrey  took  on  his  foreign  trip  was 
a  1905  Locomobile.  The  tour  was  made  the 
summer  before  last : 

After  visiting  the  cathedral  the  morning  after  our  arrival 
and  spending  several  hours  about  this  quaint,  sleepy  old  town 
(Winchester),  we  regretfully  got  into  our  car  for  the  last  run, 
one  of  only  about  twenty  miles  to  Southampton,  where  our 
motor  tour  was  to  end.  The  distance  was  covered  only  too 
quickly,  and  about  noon  we  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
Southwestern  Hotel  with  mingled  feelings  of  regret  on  the 
one  hand  that  this  most  delightful  motoring  trip  was  at  an 
end,  and  thankfulness  on  the  other  that  it  had  been  made 
without  mishap  or  accident  of  any  kind.  We  all  took  a 
sentimental  pleasure  in  patting  our  Locomobile  as  if  it  had 
been  a  human  being  and  saying :  "  Well  done.  You  have 
carried  us  several  thousand  miles  without  default  or  complaint. 
So  perfectly  have  you  done  your  work  that  but  once  on  the 
entire  trip  have  we  had  to  stop  on  your  account,  and  that 
for  a  moment  only." 


*•*•* 

***»« 


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118 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  Locomobile  is  a  car  in  which  one  may  tour 
abroad  or  in  any  remote  district  far  away  from 
repair  shops,  without  any  fear  of  trouble. 

HOTEL  ROSE,  WIESBADEN,  March  4,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Dear  Kingman:  Upon  our  arrival  here,  reeling  along 
(I  refer  to  the  car),  under  strong  German  benzine  we  find 
yours  of  the  I4th  ult.  with  enclosures  as  stated. 

Locomobile  running  just  like  silk.  Had  a  little  trouble 
with  igniter  on  first  cylinder  one  day  —  otherwise  the  ten-day 
trip  was  without  skip.  The  old  red  car  is  nearly  one  year 
old,  was  delivered  March  i6th,  I  think  —  and  better  today 
after  20,000  kilometers  than  when  first  turned  over. 

We  have  just  completed  a  ten-day  trip  from  Geneva  up 
through  the  central  portion  of  France  and  across  the  German 
border,  running  along  the  Rhine  Valley  to  this  place.  I  am 
going  to  take  the  cure  here,  as  all  Americans  do ;  that  is  to 
say,  drink  the  spring  water  all  morning  and  the  good  old 
Pilsner  all  the  afternoon  and  listen  to  the  band  in  the  evening. 

Yours  cordially, 


119 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

LONDON,  August  26,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
New  York  City 

Gentlemen:  I  have  just  returned  from  Southampton  where 
I  left  my  auto  with  the  Morris  European  Express  for  shipment 
to  New  York. 

We  have  made  a  tour  of  2703  miles  since  we  left  Paris, 
having  been  in  France,  Switzerland,  Italy,  Austria,  Germany, 
France  again,  and  in  England.  We  averaged  127  miles  per 
day  while  on  the  continent,  and  our  longest  day  was  202  miles. 

Our  highest  speed  was  56  miles  per  hour,  and  our  steepest 
grade  was  25  per  cent  on  the  test  hill  at  the  Brooklands  Motor 
Track.  We  negotiated  it  easily  on  first  speed  from  a  stand- 
still and  on  second  with  a  hundred-foot  start. 

We  had  two  punctures,  two  blow-outs,  and  one  tube 
blow-out  that  did  not  hurt  the  shoe,  and  except  for  these  tire 
troubles  we  did  not  stop  on  the  road  during  the  whole  2703 
miles.  It  was  a  wonderful  performance  and  a  great  credit  to 
your  company,  for  you  must  remember  that  the  car  had  done 
over  20,000  miles  before  we  started  on  the  trip. 

The  spare  parts  you  so  thoughtfully  provided  are  exactly 
where  your  packer  placed  them  in  the  car — we  have  not  lised 
anything,  not  even  a  cotter  pin  or  a  spare  nut. 

The  car  was  always  ready,  and  my  chauffeur,  who  has  had 
it  ever  since  you  delivered  it  to  me  about  three  years  ago, 
says  he  thinks  the  car  is  running  as  well  as  when  it  was  new, 
and  for  reliability  and  hill  climbing,  he  never  saw  its  superior 
for  the  same  H.-P. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Our  trip  in  every  way  has  been  a  success  —  most  people 
had  bad  weather  over  here  this  summer,  but  we  have  been 
most  fortunate  in  this  respect — and  I  am  only  too  sorry  that 
the  trip  is  over. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 


NORTHAMTON,   MASS.,  July    15,    1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Dear  Sirs :  Enclosed  find  post-office  money  order  for 
$1.35  to  apply  on  my  account. 

Machine  is  going  fine ;  has  never  run  better  since  I  have 
owned  it.  There  is  certainly  great  stuff  in  the  Type  "  D  " 
Locomobile  of  1 904. 

If  you  have  one  of  the  1910  Locomobile  books  to  spare, 
would  be  pleased  to  receive  one. 

Yours  truly, 


HE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


High  grade  machinery  always  proves  cheapest  in  the 
end.  The  Locomobile  is  known  for  its  economy 
of  maintenance. 

42  Madison  Street 
CHICAGO,  ILL.,  May  13,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Chicago,  III 

Gentlemen  :  Inclosed  please  find  my  check  for  $10.32  for 
repairs  on  my  car.  My  Locomobile  was  delivered  to  me  on 
the  26th  of  May,  last  year.  I  have  run  it  more  than  12,000 
miles,  to  be  exact,  12,150,  and  this  is  the  first  and  only  repair 
expense  I  have  had  in  that  time.  In  looking  over  my  bill 
for  gasolene  I  find  that  I  have  averaged  $10.25  Per  month  — 
rather  economical,  don't  you  think  ?  I  have  owned  five  other 
cars  which  has  given  me  some  experience  with  dealers.  I 
wish  to  say  that  the  care,  consideration  and  interest  you  show 
your  customers  was  certainly  a  revelation  to  me.  Thanking 
you  very  much  for  past  courtesies,  I  am, 

Respectfully, 


LOCOMOBILE  BOO 


EDDYSTONE,  PA.,  Oct.  27,  1910 

S.  deB.  Keirn,  Manager 
The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Dear  Sir:  During  the  past  ten  years  I  have  owned  and 
operated  five  Locomobiles  of  various  types.  Have  never  yet 
been  delayed  on  the  road  except  for  tire  changes,  and  have 
never  had  a  car  in  a  repair  shop  nor  out  of  commission  during 
good  riding  weather. 

From  my  experience  I  believe  the  material  and 
workmanship  on  the  Locomobile  to  be  the  most  reliable 
of  any  American  car. 

You  are  at  liberty  to  use  my  name  for  reference  at 
any  time. 

Yours  truly, 

S_ 


1*3 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  Locomobile  is  frequently  most  appreciated  in 
districts  where  roads  are  the  roughest,  and  condi- 
tions are  most  unfavorable  to  the  automobile. 

405  South  Eighth  Street 
NORTH  YAKIMA,  WASH.,  August  18,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport^  Conn. 

Dear  Sirs :  I  wish  to  write  you  a  few  words  of  praise  for 
the  Locomobile  car.  I  drove  one  of  your  1907  cars  over  a 
year.  The  car  was  used  in  California  and  Nevada  deserts 
for  nearly  a  year  as  a  stage  car.  I  took  her  the  third  day  ot 
last  June,  1909,  and  drove  for  the  largest  real  estate  firm  in 
North  Yakima,  and  up  until  a  few  days  ago  I  put  on  one 
new  spring ;  one  shackle-bolt ;  two  new  igniters ;  one  new  set 
of  sprockets,  the  first  she  had  since  she  left  the  factory,  and 
one  new  set  of  chains ;  this  is  the  up-keep  of  a  car  of  good 
material.  You,  no  doubt,  have  much  better  reports  of  your 
cars.  But  if  you  could  only  realize  the  roads  I  have  driven 
her  over.  Some  days  I  took  her  as  far  as  20  miles  on  nothing 
but  sagebrush.  If  tires  here  last  3000  miles  they  are  good 
ones.  I  drove  this  car  over  9000  miles  on  just  such  roads. 
She  never  has  been  towed  and  always  comes  home.  t 

If  all  goes  well,  you  will  have  to  send  another  40  horse- 
power, y-passenger  car  to  North  Yakima  in  1912.  Would 
like  your  latest  literature. 

Yours  respectfully, 


# 


1*4 


A   "  30  "   Locomobile  abroad.      Ancient  half-timbered  house  in  England 


Hiram  W.  Johnson,  of  San  Francisco,  in  the  "  30  "  Locomobile,  used  in  his  successful  cam- 
paign for  the  nomination  for  Governor.  Car  driven  over  10,000  miles  during  the  campaign 
Dr.  Woodrow  Wilson  used  a  Locomobile  in  his  campaign  for  Governor  of  New  Jersey 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

This  Locomobile  was  driven  over  10,000  miles  in 
the  greatest  political  campaign  in  the  history  of 
California,  resulting  in  the  nomination  of  Hiram 
W.  Johnson  for  governor. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL.,  May  3,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 

Hayes  Street  and  Van  Ness  Avenue 

Dear  Sirs :  I  have  just  returned  from  a  week's  trip  with 
my  new  Locomobile  Roadster,  and  I  am  so  enthusiastic  that 
I  cannot  refrain  from  writing  you  my  appreciation  of  its  good 
qualities.  We  covered  482  miles  on  the  trip.  This  distance 
we  covered  in  a  little  over  eighteen  hours  running  time,  and 
our  average  speed  was  25.55  miles  per  hour,  over  roads,  good, 
bad  and  indifferent,  and  at  no  time  did  we  stop  the  engine. 
The  machine  runs  perfectly,  and  gives  promise  or  doing 
even  better  than  our  former  Locomobile,  which  traveled  over 
48,000  miles,  without  the  slightest  mishap,  or  mechanical 
trouble.  It  is  necessary  in  this  campaign  that  we  have  a 
machine  which  I  can  always  feel  assured  will  bring  me  to  my 
destinations,  at  the  exact  times  at  which  I  am  due  there. 

Tomorrow  I  start  on  a  trip  through  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  and  thence  through  the  southern  part  of  the  State, 
stopping  at  every  town,  and  I  start  absolutely  sure  that  I  can 
depend  upon  the  Locomobile  in  every  emergency. 

Yours  very  truly, 


127 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  Locomobile  is  built  for  safety  to  withstand  the 
unexpected  emergency. 

BAKERSFIELD,  CAL.,  Aug.  6,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
San  Francisco,  Cat. 

Gentlemen:  I  am  mailing  you,  under  separate  cover,  four 
views  of  the  recent  wreck  of  my  1907  Model  "H  "  Loco- 
mobile from  which  you  will  know  that  the  job  was  done  in  a 
very  artistic  manner. 

If  you  wish  to  use  these  for  advertising  the  indestructible 
features  of  the  "  Loco  "  I  will  state  that  the  only  breakage 
was  the  spring  clips  on  the  right  side  of  the  front  spring,  which 
allowed  the  axle  to  come  back  under,  twisting  the  4-inch  blocks 
and  springing  the  front  axle.  The  body,  as  you  can  see,  is  a 
total  wreck. 

After  rigging  a  derrick  and  lifting  the  car  out  of  the  ditch 
we  removed  the  blocks  from  the  front  axle,  put  on  new  clips 
and  the  car  was  driven  home,  forty  miles,  on  its  own  power, 
the  engine  and  transmission  being  in  perfect  running  order, 
and  none  of  the  wheels  had  even  a  cracked  or  loosened  spoke. 

Trusting  these  may  be  of  some  benefit  to  you  in  k 
business  way,  I  am, 

Yours  very  truly, 


128 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOO'K 

WILMINGTON,  DEL.,  October  26,  .1910 

Mr.  S.  deE.  Keim,  Manager 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
245  N.  Broad  Street 

Philadelphia  ,  Penna. 

Dear  Sir  :  Replying  to  your  favor  of  the  25th,  am  pleased 
to  be  able  to  advise  that  the  car  delivered  to  me  April  2£th 
has  been  running  continuously  and  is  in  every  way  entirely 
satisfactory.  It  has  cost  me  60  cents  for  repairs  during  this 
period,  with  a  mileage  of  5600  miles. 

I  sent  my  car  to  your  shop  last  week  after  having  it  at 
Cape  May  for  four  months,  which  is  an  extremely  hard  climate 
for  any  machine,  due  to  the  dampness,  and  was  much  pleased 
to  have  your  people  report  that  it  needed  no  repairs  whatever, 
and  after  having  the  journals  and  bearings  repacked  with  grease 
the  car  is  doing  wonderful  work. 

I  do  not  allow  any  of  the  garage  machinists  here  to  do 
anything  to  my  car,  and  for  this  reason  think  that  I  have 
avoided  a  lot  of  expense  and  complaints  that  some  others 
have  experienced. 

I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  Locomobile  is  the 
best  and  most  economical  car  that  can  be  had.  Its  low 
consumption  of  oil  and  gasolene  and  the  perfect  mechanism 
makes  the  up-keep  of  the  car  a  very  small  matter.  Am  still 
using  the  same  air  in  three  of  the  tires  that  came  with  the  car. 

You  are  at  liberty  to  refer  any  probable  purchaser  to  me, 
and  to  use  this  letter. 

Yours  very  truly, 


1*9 


OCOMOBILE  BOO 


An  automobile  that  after  three  years  of  service  "  runs 
like  a  clock",  is  the  sort  you  want. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  February  26,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport^  Conn. 

Gentlemen  :  Your  constant  inquiries  of  your  old  customers 
as  to  the  running  of  your  cars,  is  much  appreciated. 

In  1905  I  purchased  my  first  Locomobile,  ran  it  for  two 
years  and,  because  of  my  success  with  it,  I  bought  a  1907 
car,  which  today  runs  like  a  good  clock. 

You  have  my  promise  that  if  I  have  occasion  to  buy  a 
new  car,  which,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the  one  I  own,  will 
not  be  immediately,  I  certainly  will  buy  one  of  your  new 
models. 

Very  truly  yours, 


130 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  Locomobile  is  an  adequate  touring  car,  capable 
of  going  anywhere  with  comfort,  and  without 
being  hard  on  tires. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL.,  July  14,  1910 

Mr.  L.  W.  Williams 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 

Van  Ness  Avenue  and  Hayes  Street 

Dear  Sir :  Your  favor  of  the  8th  instant  is  at  hand,  and 
in  reply  would  state  we  had  a  very  satisfactory  trip  in  the 
"  I "  Locomobile,  and  I  would  not  wish  for  a  better  car 
than  the  Locomobile  turned  out  to  be. 

We  went  up  over  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  between 
seven  and  eight  thousand  feet,  with  grades  varying  from 
ten  to  thirty  per  cent. 

We  used  "  Continental  "  Type  Course  Tires,  running 
over  one  thousand  miles,  and  on  our  return  home  the  tires 
were  in  perfect  condition,  which  demonstrated  that  the 
Locomobile  for  a  seven-passenger  car  is  easy  on  tires. 
We  had  a  great  many  rough  roads  to  go  over,  and  by  having 
a  car  that  worked  to  perfection,  and  first-class  tires,  our  trip 
was  most  enjoyable. 

Yours  very  truly, 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  longer  a  Locomobile  owner  drives  his  car,  the 
better  he  appreciates  it. 

LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,  September  9,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
2000  Michigan  Ave., 
Chicago,  III. 

Gentlemen:  I  have  just  returned  home  after  a  tour  through 
Indiana,  Ohio,  Canada,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Ten- 
nessee and  Kentucky,  going  over  2100  miles  in  my  Locomobile 
"30",  purchased  of  you  last  winter,  and  while  I  have  always 
known  that  I  rode  in  one  of  the  best  cars  in  the  market,  this 
particular  trip  gives  additional  evidence  of  the  sterling  qualities 
and  increases  my  confidence  in  the  Locomobile. 

The  sandy  roads  of  Michigan  are  exceedingly  bad  and 
very  hard  driving,  and  it  takes  a  good  car  to  travel  over  them 
day  after  day  without  requiring  the  slightest  adjustment  or 
attention  of  any  kind,  but  those  roads  by  comparison  with  the 
old  Louisville  and  Nashville  Pike,  over  which  I  traveled, 
would  seem  like  a  magnificent  boulevard. 

There  was  not  a  single  broken  item  on  my  car  during  the 
entire  trip. 

I  have  driven  my  car  over  9000  miles  up  to  date  and  I 
still  like  it,  and  I  have  no  objection  to  your  using  this  letter 
to  prove  to  a  prospective  buyer  what  some  of  your   users v 
think  of  your  car. 

Yours  very  truly, 


13* 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


There  is  no  element  of  uncertainty  about  the 
Locomobile.  It  is  a  car  that  can  be  operated 
every  day  in  the  month,  year  after  year. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  June  25,  1910 

Mr.  I.  J.  Morse 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Dear  Sir:  We  have  had  four  (4)  Type  "I",  Forty  (40) 
horse-power  Locomobiles  in  the  public  service  at  the  Palace 
Hotel  since  the  opening  of  the  hotel,  December  ifth,  1909, 
and  can  say  that  the  cars  have  been  giving  excellent  service  and 
doing  work  that  I  am  confident  no  other  car  would  do ;  having 
made  a  good  many  country  trips  over  the  hardest  roads  in  the 
dead  of  winter,  and  coming  back  without  a  single  mishap.  In 
my  mind  there  is  no  praise  too  high  for  the  cars  we  are  now 
using,  as  the  up-keep  has  been  practically  nothing. 

Wishing  you  continued  success,  I  am, 

Yours  very  truly, 


Chief  Engineer  Palace  Hotel. 


133 


OCOMOBILE  BOO 


Economy  of  oil  and  gasolene  is  noticeable  in  driving  a 
Locomobile,  not  merely  when  it  is  new  but  after 
it  has  been  driven  several  years. 


GREENFIELD,  MASS.,    May  20,  1910 


Mr.  J.  F.  Plummer 
New  York,  N.  T. 


My  dear  Mr.  Plummer :  I  think  you  will  be  interested  to 
know  that  I  recently  made  the  trip  from  Greenfield  to  Boston 
and  return,  covering  212  miles,  in  my  "40"  Locomobile  and 
averaged  13  miles  to  each  gallon  of  gasolene.  Last  Wednesday 
I  left  New  York  in  the  rain  and  came  to  Greenfield,  a  distance 
of  206  miles,  on  an  average  of  1 2  %  miles  per  gallon  of  gasolene. 
The  roads  were  very  muddy  and  slippery  most  of  the  way 
between  New  York  and  New  Haven,  making  it  necessary  to 
travel  slowly.  I  don't  know  that  you  will  consider  this  remark- 
able, but  I  must  confess  that  I  do.  This  is  the  third  year 
for  my  car  and  she  is  simply  perfect.  With  kind  regards,  I  am, 

Very  truly  yours, 


(I  write    this    after    nine  years'   experience    with  various 
makes  of  cars.) 


134 


HE  L      O      C      O       M 


WICHITA,  KAN.,  Oct.  21,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Dear  Mr.  Day :  I  have  just  returned  from  a  European 
trip  with  my  Type  "  I  "  Locomobile.  Had  no  troubles  or 
delays  of  any  kind.  I  traveled  extensively  through  England, 
Scotland,  France,  Germany  and  Switzerland,  making  this 
entire  trip  with  no  mechanical  trouble  whatever  and  only 
seven  punctures  all  told,  and  sincerely  believe  that  no  other 
automobile  has  made  such  a  long  and  varied  trip  with  the 
minimum  trouble. 

I  crossed  the  Alps  where  the  grades  are  very  steep  and 
frequently  fifteen  miles  up  grade  at  one  stretch  and  many  cars 
have  great  difficulty  in  making  such  a  long  ascent  on  account 
of  overheating,  but  I  experienced  no  trouble  whatever. 

If  any  of  your  friends  contemplate  a  trip  abroad,  tell  them 
to  be  sure  to  take  a  Locomobile  and  join  the  Automobile 
Association  of  London  and  their  troubles  will  be  nil. 

Yours  very  truly, 


»35 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

BOSTON,  MASS.,  Oct.  18,  1910 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America 
Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Mr.  Kings  ley :  I  have  just  returned  from  my  trip  to 
Europe  and  possibly  you  may  be  interested  in  hearing  a  little 
of  it.  We  started  from  Havre  through  France,  Northern 
Italy  and  Austria,  and  then  through  France  again  to  Havre, 
covering  3063  miles  in  all.  Over  1000  miles  of  the  above 
were  made  in  trips  through  the  French  and  Tyrolean  Alps. 

The  car  covered  the  mileage  without  any  trouble  of  any 
kind  except  ordinary  tire  trouble.  This  gave  us  but  little 
annoyance  with  the  demountable  rims.  We  climbed,  starting 
from  Grenoble,  France,  on  one  day  steadily  for  5 1  miles  without 
a  let  up,  spending  the  night  at  the  French  pass  known  as  Le 
Lauteret  on  the  road  from  France  to  Italy.  The  little  inn  at 
this  point  is  6790  feet  above  sea  level.  We  continued  on 
the  next  day,  descending  about  4000  feet  and  then  climbed  the 
mountain  on  the  Italian  side  known  as  Mt.  Genevre.  The 
pass  at  the  top  of  this  mountain  is  8200  feet  above  sea  level 
and  is  the  second  highest  carriage  road  in  Europe. 

I  enclose  a  picture  taken  on  the  French  and  Italian 
boundary  line.  We  climbed  this  without  any  difficulty 
whatever,  although  we  passed  two  cars  which  were  having 
great  trouble  on  the  road  and  we  understand  they  were  all 
day  getting  to  the  top  which  we  covered  in  a  few  hours.  We 
could  say  the  same  of  our  trip  through  the  Tyrolean  pass  over 
Falzerego,  which  is  even  more  difficult  than  the  one  above. 
The  weather  was  bad,  it  being  rainy  and  the  road  is  much 
steeper  in  places,  although  I  believe  the  height  is  about  8000 
feet,  about  the  same  as  Mt.  Genevre. 

Yours  very  truly, 

ARTHUR  B.  GILMORE 

136 


CHAPTER     SEVEN 
THE  LOCOMOBILE  PLANT 


The  Plant  of  the  Locomobile  Company  of  America  at  Seaside  Park,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 


140 


O      CO      MO      BILE  BO 


CHAPTER     SEVEN 

THE    LOCOMOBILE    PLANT   AND    MANU- 
FACTURING   METHODS 

Every  year  we  receive  many  visitors  at  our  factory,  and 
all  interested  in  the  production  of  high-class  automobiles 
are  invited  to  go  over  our  plant.  Anyone  who  has  ever 
made  a  careful  inspection  of  the  Locomobile  plant  has 
carried  away  something  of  the  spirit  of  Locomobile 
ideals  of  manufacture. 

The  intention  of  this  chapter  is  to  explain  briefly 
to  those  who  are  unable  to  visit  Bridgeport  what  our 
factory  is  like  and  how  we  make  our  cars.  The  Loco- 
mobile plant  enjoys  what  is  probably  the  most  beautiful 
location  of  any  factory  in  the  country,  being  situated 
on  the  edge  of  Long  Island  Sound  at  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
adjoining  Seaside  Park.  The  buildings  are  arranged  so 
that  workmen  in  all  departments  have  plenty  of  light 
and  air,  and  it  is  well  known  that  healthful  surround- 
ings have  a  marked  beneficial  influence  on  the  quality 
of  work  produced  in  any  factory.  The  situation  of  our 
plant  in  Bridgeport  is  desirable  because  this  city  is  the 
most  active  industrial  center  in  Connecticut,  provides 
us  with  skilled  New  England  mechanics  and  facilities 
for  making  shipments  by  water  or  rail. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  raw  material  entering  into  the  construction  of 
the  Locomobile  is  stored  in  the  basement  in  bins  and 
racks,  each  class  of  material  having  a  special  place. 
Before  shipments  of  steel  are  unloaded  from  the  freight 
car  they  are  streaked  with  paint,  so  that  every  workman 
can  tell  at  a  glance  what  the  steel  is  intended  for. 
Every  steel  has  its  particular  color,  and  a  color  board 
hangs  in  each  department  that  handles  raw  material  — 
thus  there  is  no  confusion.  Every  piece  of  steel  is 
also  stamped  with  a  number.  Some  years  ago  a  famous 
French  firm  lost  an  automobile  race  because  through 
a  factory  error  the  wrong  kind  of  steel  was  used  in 
making  up  the  engine  valves.  In  the  Locomobile 
factory  the  practice  of  painting  the  steel  and  stamping 
it  with  a  number  prevents  error  and  makes  it  certain 
that  each  part  will  be  made  from  the  proper  kind 
of  steel  which  will  give  the  best  results. 

The  Locomobile  is  practically  made  of  drop 
forgings.  We  design  the  parts,  and  sink  the  necessary 
dies.  The  drop  forgings  are  produced  in  a  very 
complete  shop,  equipped  with  large  and  small  forges, 
trip  hammers,  cutters,  trimmers  and  power  shears,  the 
raw  material  being  cut  in  pieces  and  placed  in  oil-fed 
pre-heating  furnaces.  All  forgings  are  immersed  in 
an  acid  bath,  which  smooths  off  surface  roughness, 
and  are  also  subjected  to  the  action  of  the  sand  blast, 
which  cleans  ofFthe  scale  and  reveals  flaws  if  there  be  any. 

14* 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK. 

This  operation  is  more  than  a  mere  cleaning  process, 
it  is  an  inspection  of  great  importance.  In  this  section 
of  the  factory  is  located  an  elaborate  heat-treating  and 
annealing  department  where  special  facilities  are 
provided  for  the  heat-treatment  of  alloy  steel.  This  is 
probably  the  most  complete  and  up-to-date  establish- 
ment of  its  kind  in  New  England,  and  nowhere  in  the 
country  is  there  any  excelling  it  in  the  ability  to 
accomplish  the  best  results.  A  more  important  matter 
is  the  fact  that  this  department  is  long  established, 
having  been  a  feature  of  the  Locomobile  plant  for  six 
years,  and  long  experience  in  heat-treating  alloy  steels 
enables  us  to  produce  parts  of  uniform  and  enormous 
strength.  Owing  to  the  sensitive  character  of  the  alloy 
steels  used  in  automobile  construction,  it  is  necessary  to 
regulate  the  heating  to  the  utmost  accuracy,  therefore 
this  is  accomplished  in  oil-fed  furnaces,  the  temperature 
of  which  is  indicated  by  pyrometers  or  electric  thermo- 
meters and  the  oil  furnaces  enable  the  exact  temperature 
to  be  controlled  for  any  length  of  time.  An  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  our  heat-treating  establishment  may 
be  had  when  it  is  stated  that  the  consumption  of  oil 
for  the  furnaces  amounts  to  a  thousand  gallons  a  day. 
All  drop  forgings,  all  nuts  and  bolts  are  heat-treated, 
as  well  as  all  gears,  shafts  and  axles. 

The  machine  rooms   constitute  a  large  part  of  the 
floor  space  of  the  factory   as   the   Locomobile  is  a  car 


«43 


L      O      C      O       M      O       B       I 


composed  of  Locomobile  parts.  The  various  manu- 
facturing departments  are  equipped  with  the  latest  and 
best  machine  tools,  which  perform  the  various  operations 
in  the  most  correct  manner.  Each  machine  room  has 
its  own  inspection  room  which  is  under  the  supervision 
of  the  main  inspection  department.  Accuracy  is  the 
rule  in  the  Locomobile  plant  and  all  machine  operations 
are  carefully  inspected  and  every  finished  part  is  inspected. 
Some  pieces  are  tested  by  a  blow  from  a  hammer,  a 
clear  ringing  note  indicating  the  absence  of  any  flaw. 
Every  nut,  screw  and  bolt  is  examined.  These  inspec- 
tions are  exceedingly  expensive  but  guarantee  high 
quality  and  long  life  of  the  car. 

An  automobile  contains  a  very  large  number  of 
bearing  surfaces  entirely  separate  from  any  ball  bearings 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  car,  and  these  must  be 
absolutely  true  and  smooth  and  of  the  proper  density 
to  resist  wear.  The  proper  way  to  finish  wearing 
surfaces  is  by  grinding  and  the  Locomobile  grinding 
department  is  noted  for  the  amount  and  accuracy  of 
the  work  performed.  Locomobile  cylinders  are  bored 
with  great  care,  the  cutting  tool  moving  very  slo\vly 
so  as  not  to  distort  the  cylinder  walls,  and  three  cuts 
are  taken,  the  cylinders  being  aged  between  cuts.  The 
final  finish  is  by  grinding,  water  flowing  through  the 
water  jackets  exactly  as  in  the  operation  of  the  car  so 
as  to  maintain  a  uniform  heat  and  prevent  distortion. 

i44 


14-6 


O      C       O       M      O       B       I 


This  final  operation  of  cylinder  grinding  leaves  the 
inside  walls  absolutely  and  permanently  true  and  with 
a  hard  glassy  finish. 

In  any  automobile  there  are  a  large  number  of 
gears,  both  spur  and  bevel  —  such  parts  are  made  in 
the  Locomobile  shops  from  start  to  finish.  Elaborate 
gear  cutting  machinery  is  employed  that  generates  the 
teeth  of  the  gears,  that  is,  shapes  the  gear  teeth  so  as 
to  produce  the  curve  called  for  by  theory  instead  of 
approximating  it  in  the  ordinary  manner.  Another 
important  matter  is  that  Locomobile  gears  have  been 
produced  in  the  Locomobile  factory  for  eight  years 
with  a  corresponding  precision  to  be  gained  only  by 
such  long  experience. 

We  have  always  built  our  own  engines.  Many 
automobile  manufacturers  do  not  build  their  engines  or 
have  only  recently  begun  to  do  so.  (No  Locomobile 
gasolene  car  has  ever  been  equipped  with  an  engine 
that  was  not  a  Locomobile  engine.)  Each  engine  is 
assembled  from  parts  that  have  all  been  carefully 
inspected  and  are  entirely  interchangeable  in  character. 
When  the  engine  is  finished  it  is  flooded  with  oil 
and  driven  by  a  belt  until  it  is  limbered  up,  after  which 
it  is  placed  on  the  testing  stand  where  it  is  coupled 
with  a  dynamo  which  it  drives,  and  the  electrical 
power  developed  by  the  dynamo  in  consequence  is 
readily  transformed  into  horse -power.  Each  engine 


147 


SEASIDE          PARK 


BRIDGEPORT 
HARBOR 


JGHT   HOUSE 


FACTORY   No.  1 

FACTORY    No.  2 

FACTORY   No.  3 

FACTORY   No.  4 

GARAGE    No.  I 

GARAGE   No.  2 

POWER    HOUSE 

PUMP   HOUSE 

STORAGE 

WOODWORKING    BUILDING 

DINING  ROOM 

DIE  STORAGE 

FORGE  SHOP 

HARDENING    SHOP 

BLACKSMITH    SHOP 

BUILDING   FOR   CLEANING 

CASTINGS   AND  FORCINGS 

CAR    STORAGE    BLDG. 


THE  LOCOMOBIL       E  BOOK 

is  tested  until  it  fulfills  the  standard  requirements 
for  its  type  and  the  record  of  each  engine  test  is 
preserved.  No  greater  carefulness  could  be  exercised 
or  stricter  methods  employed  than  in  the  construction 
of  a  Locomobile  motor. 

The  transmission  gears,  an  important  part  of  any  car, 
have  always  been  a  very  strong  part  of  the  Locomobile. 
The  transmission  is  built  complete  in  the  Locomobile 
plant.  An  exceedingly  interesting  testing  device  is 
used  for  all  transmissions  and  rear  axles.  This  consists 
of  a  stand  on  which  is  placed,  for  example,  a  rear  axle, 
which  is  then  driven  and  the  conditions  of  actual  road 
service  are  imitated  to  the  extent  of  testing  the  rear 
axle  for  driving  and  braking  stresses  and  for  the  silent 
and  satisfactory  operation  of  the  driving  gears  and 
differential  gears.  Each  transmission  is  placed  on  this 
stand  and  tested  before  it  is  permitted  to  enter  into  the 
construction  of  the  chassis.  The  cost  of  operating 
this  testing  machine  is  considerable  but  as  its  use  is  one 
of  the  things  that  make  for  high  quality  and  durability, 
it  is  a  feature  of  Locomobile  factory  carefulness. 

Another  interesting  department  is  that  in  which  the 
chassis  is  assembled.  Here  the  motor,  transmission, 
axles,  steering  gear,  frame,  springs  and  other  components 
are  combined  to  produce  the  complete  chassis.  It  has 
been  pointed  out  that  all  Locomobile  parts  are  inter- 
changeable, and  it  is  valuable  to  note  that  the  assembly 

149 

1 


OCOMOBILE  BOO 


of  all  parts  of  the  chassis  frame  are  also  interchangeable 
as  the  assembly  holes  are  jig  drilled.  Consequently 
any  Locomobile  motor  will  fit  any  chassis  and  so  on 
for  the  transmission  and  other  units.  When  the  chassis 
is  assembled  it  is  equipped  with  a  set  of  wheels  and  a 
testing  body  and  is  sent  out  on  the  road  in  charge  of 
a  testing  driver  who  does  nothing  else  but  tune  up  and 
inspect  the  finished  chassis.  His  test  is  inspected  by 
other  men,  after  which  the  car  is  sent  to  the  finishing 
department  to  be  painted  and  to  have  the  body  and 
lamps  and  equipment  added.  The  metal  parts  of  the 
chassis  are  enameled  instead  of  painted.  The  difficulty 
of  making  paint  stay  on  the  bonnet,  for  example,  which 
is  hot,  and  on  the  fenders  and  other  parts  which  are 
always  subjected  to  more  or  less  vibration,  is  overcome 
by  baking  on  the  enamel  which  makes  a  perfect 
foundation  for  the  finishing  coats  of  paint  and  varnish. 
When  the  car  leaves  the  final  department  which 
prepares  it  for  delivery,  it  is  given  a  road  test  of  suffi- 
cient duration  to  make  sure  that  the  car  is  in  proper 
running  condition  before  shipment.  After  this  the 
report  of  this  tester  is  checked  by  other  inspector^. 
The  final  test  is  performed  by  a  special  inspector  whose 
regular  duty  is  to  examine  the  car  with  a  view  to 
eliminating  any  minute  imperfections  in  upholstery, 
finish,  or  equipment,  so  when  the  customer  receives 
his  car  it  will  be  not  only  a  perfect  mechanical  unit, 
but  perfect  also  in  finish. 


150 


CHAPTER    EIGHT 

ORGANIZATION 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    EIGHT 

THE    LOCOMOBILE    ORGANIZATION 

The  Locomobile  Company  of  America  was  founded 
in  1899,  at  a  time  when  automobiles  were  called 
"Horseless  Carriages ",  and  there  were  few,  if  any, 
practical  machines  in  use  in  this  country.  Our  company 
was  the  first  in  America  to  deliver  automobiles  in  any 
quantity.  The  performance  of  early  Locomobiles 
was  the  first  convincing  demonstration  of  the  value 
of  automobiles,  and  was  the  most  potent  factor  in 
awakening  the  automobile  movement  in  this  country 
and  in  stimulating  the  industry. 

It  will  be  seen  that  our  experience  in  the  manu- 
facture of  automobiles  covers  twelve  complete  seasons, 
and  the  Locomobile  for  1911  is  thus  the  direct  result 
of  all  this  knowledge.  We  believe  that  it  is  very 
important  for  the  purchaser  to  consider  something 
more  than  the  actual  car  as  he  sees  it  on  the  road. 
We  believe  that  he  should  be  influenced  by  the  way 
in  which  the  car  has  been  developed,  so  that  he  will 
get  a  machine  that  is  the  result  of  experience ;  we  also 
believe  that  he  should  be  influenced  by  the  character 
of  the  company,  buying  his  car  from  a  concern  whose 
policy  it  is  to  take  the  best  possible  care  of  its  customers. 

"53 


H 


O      C      O       M      O      B       I 


B      O 


New  York 
Branch 


The  policy  of  the  Locomobile  Company  is  to  build 
the  best  cars  possible  and  to  see  to  it  that  they  give 
complete  satisfaction  in  the  hands  of  owners.  In 
order  to  carry  out  this  policy  we  have  a  complete 
manufacturing  plant,  fully  described  in  another  chapter, 
and  in  this  plant  are  located  our  executive  offices,  in 
close  touch  with  the  production. 

The  men  composing  the  Locomobile  organization 
are  almost  without  exception  pioneers  in  the  industry. 
Nineteen  department  heads  of  the  Locomobile  organi- 
zation have  been  associated  with  it  for  over  seven  years, 
and  twelve  of  these  department  heads  have  been  with 
the  company  continuously  for  over  ten  years,  practically 


'54 


T       H 


LOCOMOBILE 


BOO 


Philadelphia 
Branch 


since  its  foundation.  As  a  result  there  is  that  whole- 
some unity  of  effort  and  complete  understanding  which 
can  only  result  from  working  side  by  side  for  years. 

In  order  best  to  serve  our  customers  we  have 
established  branch  houses  at  important  centers  through- 
out the  country.  It  is  important  to  know  that  this  is 
not  a  recent  departure,  but  was  an  original  part  of  our 
company's  policy,  for  example,  our  New  York  branch 
was  established  in  New  York  City  in  1899  and  we 
have  occupied  our  present  building  at  Broadway  and 
76th  Street  for  eleven  years.  This  spells  permanence 
and  stability  and  should  inspire  confidence  in  the 
buyer.  We  have  had  branch  houses  in  Philadelphia 

'55 


H 


L      O 


M 


B       O 


Chicago 
Branch 


and  Chicago  since  1900,  and  one  in  Boston  since 
1901.  We  have  recently  opened  new  branches  in 
San  Francisco  and  Washington.  Throughout  the 
country  are  a  large  number  of  dealers  who  handle 
the  Locomobile  product  and  who  keep  in  close  touch 
with  the  nearest  branch  house.  This  system  forms 
a  complete  chain,  enabling  the  Locomobile  owner  to 
tour  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  the  other  and 
always  be  in  touch  with  the  Locomobile  Company 
or  a  Locomobile  dealer. 

It  is  an  important  part  of  our  policy  to  co-operate 
with  owners  to  the  fullest  extent ;  to  do  everything 
we  can  to  make  their  experiences  with  the  Locomobile 
thoroughly  satisfactory  in  every  way.  We  endeavor 

156 


H 


LOCOMOBI 


San  Francisco 
Branch 


to  keep  in  close  touch  with  our  customers  and  to  handle 
their  correspondence  with  care  and  promptness;  we 
keep  on  hand  at  our  factory  and  branch  houses  a 
complete  supply  of  spare  parts  and  supplies ;  and  from 
time  to  time  we  send  mechanical  experts  to  call  on 
Locomobile  owners  to  see  that  their  cars  are  operating 
as  they  should. 

Our  constant  effort  is  to  produce  the  best  car  we 
can  and  to  see  to  it  that  the  owner  obtains  from  its 
use  the  perfect  satisfaction  it  was  built  to  give. 

It  is  important  to  buy  a  good  car,  but  it  is  equally 
important  to  buy  it  from  an  experienced  organization 
with  a  reputation  for  taking  care  of  its  customers  and 
with  full  facilities  for  doing  so. 

'57 


H 


L      O      C 


MOB 


BOOK 


List  of  Branches 

Bridgeport Seaside  Park 

New  York Broadway  and  76th  Street 

Philadelphia 245  North  Broad  Street 

Chicago 2000  Michigan  Avenue 

San  Francisco         .       .    Van  Ness  Avenue  and  Hayes  Street 

Boston 589  Boylston  Street 

Washington 1 1 24  Connecticut  Avenue 

I 


CHAPTER     NINE 
MOTOR    AND    IGNITION 


Type  «  L  "   Motor,  Four-Cylinder 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    NINE 

THE    LOCOMOBILE    MOTOR 

Viewed  broadly,  the  most  valuable  advantage  of 
the  Locomobile  motor  is  its  strength  of  construction. 
The  design  is  substantial,  the  quality  of  material  is  the 
best,  the  workmanship  is  accurate,  and  the  system  of 
testing  is  elaborate  and  thorough.  These  precautions 
combine  to  make  a  motor  that  will  keep  running 

satisfactorily  year  after  year. 

y 

Ignition.  The  imported  high-tension  dual  system, 
used  on  the  Locomobile,  will  be  found  to  give 
excellent  satisfaction  and  provide  easy  starting. 
Following  are  some  of  the  features  : 

1.  The  motor  can  be  started  from  the  seat  by 
pressing  a  push-button  at  the  rear  of  the  coil  on  the 
dashboard. 

2.  Neat  horizontal  coil,  only  one  end  of  which 
shows  on  the  dashboard.     No  bulky  coil  box. 

3.  Simple   system    of  wiring.     Leads   from  the 
magneto  to  the  spark  plugs  are  carried  along  the  motor 
in  a  neat  ebonized  container. 

4.  No  external  connections  between   the  switch 
and  the  coil. 

163 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

5.  Simplicity  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  there  is 
one  switch,  one  contact   breaker  and  one  distributor. 

6.  Highest     quality    of    imported    spark    plugs. 
These  are  mounted  in  the  bronze   caps  screwed   into 
the  openings  above  the  admission  valves. 

7.  The  trembler  is  only  used  for  the  purpose  of 
starting  the   motor.      When   the   car   is  operated  the 
trembler    is    cut    out    and     the     current     interrupted 
mechanically,   thus   there  is   no   lag. 

8.  The   magneto,   coil,  spark   plugs,  distributor, 
wiring,  and   all   other   parts   are    the   product   of  one 
maker. 

9.  A   three-cell,    six-volt   storage  battery  of  the 
best  quality  is  provided.     This    is    used    to    facilitate 
starting,  and  is  carried  on  the  dashboard  in  an  enameled 
metal  box. 

10.  The  magneto  is  located  on  the  cooler  side  of 
the  motor  —  the  admission  side  —  and  can  be  removed 
and  replaced  quickly  and  without  disturbing  the  timing. 
Positively  driven  by  a  gear  meshing  with  the  admission 
cam-shaft  gear.      Flexible  coupling  in  magneto   shaft. 

Bronze  Base.  One  of  the  most  interesting  details 
of  the  Locomobile  motor  is  the  substantial  bronze 
base  on  which  the  cylinders  rest.  Bronze  makes  an 
absolutely  rigid  structure,  which  greatly  prolongs  the 
life  of  the  motor.  Aluminum,  which  is  commonly 
used  for  the  purpose,  has  but  one-third  the  strength. 

164 


M"   Motor,  Six-Cylinder 


166 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK. 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  first  view.       The  bronze  crank  case 
(The  "  30  "  Locomobile  Motor  is  shown  in  this  series  of  views) 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,    second  view 
Crank  case  turned  right  side  up,  and  crank-shaft  installed,  also  cam-shafts 

167 


L       O 


O       M      O      B       I 


O       O 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  third  view 
The  fly-wheel  is  bolted  to  the  rear  end  of  crank-shaft 

In  a  bronze  base,  such  as  is  used  on  the  Locomobile, 
there  is  no  danger  of  fracture  or  of  the  bearings  getting 
out  of  line.  The  bottom  portion  of  the  engine  consists 
of  an  aluminum  casting  bolted  underneath  the 
bronze  engine  base  and  used  to  contain  the  oil  for  the 
lubrication  of  the  motor.  Inasmuch  as  this  part  of 
the  engine  is  not  subjected  to  stress,  aluminum  is  used 
to  save  weight.  In  fact,  throughout  the  Locomobile, 
aluminum  is  only  used  where  weight  may  be  saved 
without  any  sacrifice  of  strength  or  durability. 

Crank-Shaft.  This  very  important  part  of  the  motor 
is  notable  for  its  strength  and  fine  workmanship.  The 
crank-shaft  of  the  Locomobile  is  a  solid  bar  of  alloy 


168 


LOCO        MO 


B       O 


steel,  which  is  first  pressed  out  in  rough  form  on  a 
hydraulic  forge  and  then  heat-treated.  Machine 
operations  are  all  carefully  performed  in  the  Loco- 
mobile plant,  each  shaft  being  inspected  after  each 
operation.  The  crank-shaft  is  machine  finished  all 
over,  from  end  to  end,  whereas  in  most  crank-shafts  the 
bearings  only  are  machined.  It  is  balanced  on  a  testing 
device  with  knife  blades  prepared  for  the  purpose. 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  fourth  view 

Connecting  rods  are  assembled  to  the  crank-shaft.      One  of  them  is  shown 
separately,  with  bearing  cap  removed 

.69 


H 


O      C      O       M      O      B       I 


O      O 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  fifth  view 
Putting  on  the  pistons.      Connecting  rods,  from  left  to 
right,  show,  first,  a  wrist  pin  ;  second,  a  wrist  pin  with 
studs ;    third,   a  piston  without   rings ;    fourth,  a   piston 
with  rings.  ' 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  sixth  view 
Exhaust  side  showing  pump  and  its  driving  shaft;  also, 
just  at  the  left  of  the  fly-wheel  the  case  containing  the 
oiler  driving  gears. 


170 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  crank-shaft  is  forged  with  a  flange  at  the  rear  end 
to  which  the  fly-wheel  is  secured  by  six  bolts,  a  method 
of  fastening  which  absolutely  prevents  it  from  working 
loose.  The  crank-shaft  rests  on  main  bearings  of  liberal 
dimensions,  perfect  alignment  being  established  before 
the  crank-shaft  is  assembled  in  its  bearings.  The 
bearings  of  the  motor  consist  of  the  alloy  steel  surface 
of  the  crank -shaft  rotating  in  bushings  of  white 
bronze,  compressed  to  the  proper  density  and  highly 
polished  by  a  special  process  of  our  own.  The  bearing 
caps  are  secured  by  four  double  lock  nuts  and  cotter 
pins  to  each  bearing. 

Connecting  Rods.  Locomobile  connecting  rods  are 
very  strong,  drop  forged  from  special  steel  in  the 
Locomobile  shops.  The  bearings  of  the  connecting 
rod  on  the  crank-shaft  are  similar  in  construction  to 
the  main  bearings,  and  are  made  adjustable  for  wear  by 
thin  copper  shims.  The  connections  are  very  strong, 
the  connecting  rod  bearing  caps  being  secured  to  the 
connecting  rods  by  four  studs  —  a  nut,  lock  nut,  and 
cotter  pin  for  each  stud. 

Pistons.  Selected  gray  iron  castings  are  used,  each 
casting  being  subjected  to  a  sand  blast  and  a  careful 
hand  riling.  This  serves  the  purpose  of  a  test,  and  also 
removes  any  partially  loose  metal  and  prevents  it  from 
working  into  the  motor  and  cutting  the  bearings.  The 
pistons  are  carefully  turned  on  a  lathe,  and  then  ground 


171 


H 


O       M      O      B       I 


BOO 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  seventh  view 
Admission  side  with  cylinders  and  valves  added 

to  exact  size,  the  finished  piston  having  a  slight  taper 
at  the  top  to  allow  for  expansion  caused  by  the  greater 
heat  of  the  piston  at  its  upper  end.  Piston  rings  are 
four  in  number,  cut  from  specially  selected,  springy 
stock.  The  rings  are  turned  eccentric,  cut  at  an 
angle  of  45  degrees,  then  compressed  to  circular  form, 
held  in  a  fixture,  and  ground  all  over  their  entire 
circumference.  Pistons  with  rings  in  place  are  lapped 
with  an  abrasive  compound  until  they  fit  perfectly. 

Wrist  Pins.     Pistons  are  secured  to  the  connecting 
rods  by  hardened  steel  wrist  pins  ground  to  size.     The 


172 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  eighth  view 
Exhaust  side  showing  exhaust  valves  in  place ;  also  cylinder  pet  cocks 

wrist  pins  are  forced  into  the  pistons  with  a  very  close 
fit  preventing  any  up-and-down  motion,  and  are  secured 
to  the  pistons  by  steel  studs,  which  keep  them  from 
turning  or  moving  laterally.  The  studs  are  prevented 
from  working  loose  by  a  steel  wire,  the  ends  of  which 
pass  through  holes  drilled  in  the  ends  of  the  studs, 
and  are  then  bent  around.  The  wrist  pin  bearing  is 
a  steel  bushing,  hardened  and  forced  into  the  small  end 
of  the  connecting  rod  and  special  provision  for  thorough 
lubrication  of  all  wrist  pins  is  provided. 

'73 


H 


LOG 


MOB 


BOO 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  ninth  view 
Admission  side.      The  carbureter  with  induction  pipe  is  added 

Cam-Shafts.  These  are  Locomobile  forgings  and 
are  finished  throughout  in  our  own  plant.  A  feature 
is  the  forging  of  the  cam-shaft  with  all  cams  integral; 
the  ordinary  practice  being  to  make  the  shafts  and  then 
attach  the  cams.  Locomobile  cam-shaft  construction 
eliminates  unnecessary  parts  and  does  away  with  *  the 
chance  of  the  cams  becoming  loose.  Both  admission  and 
exhaust  cam-shafts  run  in  large  bearings  and  are  driven 
by  gears  located  in  a  housing  in  the  front  of  the  motor. 
Valves.  Of  the  mechanically  operated  variety,  the 
admission  valves  interchanging  with  the  exhaust  valves. 


174 


L      O 


M 


B      O 


Cam  rollers  are  hardened  steel  and  have  a  long  bearing 
in  the  bronze  lifter  guides,  a  form  of  construction 
which  prevents  wear  and  rattle.  The  valve  springs  are 
of  specially  selected  stock,  the  valves  are  carefully  made 
and  precisely  set — the  entire  system  of  the  Locomobile 
is  such  that  it  may  be  operated  for  long  periods  of  time 
without  need  of  attention.  In  case  it  is  desired  to 
check  the  timing  of  the  valves,  marks  on  the  fly-wheel 
enables  this  to  be  done  with  promptness  and  certainty. 
Pumps.  The  centrifugal  water  pump  is  located  on 
the  exhaust  side  of  the  motor.  It  is  constructed 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  tenth  view 
Exhaust  manifold  is  added  ;  also  fly-wheel  pointer  for  valve  timing 

175 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  eleventh  view 
Exhaust  side  complete  with  oiler,  oil  vent  pipes  and  water  piping 

throughout  of  bronze,  which  is  typical  of  Locomobile 
construction,  and  which  prevents  mis-alignment  or 
breakage.  The  pump  shaft  is  driven  by  a  gear  meshing 
with  the  exhaust  cam-shaft  gear  located  in  the  timmg 
gear  housing  in  the  front  of  the  motor. 

Cylinders.  Locomobile  cylinders  are  cast  in  pairs 
with  valve  boxes  and  water  jackets  integral.  The 
practice  of  casting  cylinders  in  pairs  is  considered  to 
be  the  best  as  it  produces  a  compact  motor  and 

176 


MOBILE  BOO 


does  not  limit  the  size  or  arrangement  of  motor 
bearings.  A  bronze  cover  plate  is  used  for  each  pair 
of  cylinders  and  carries  the  fittings  for  the  water 
connections  and  the  pet  cocks.  This  form  of 
construction  greatly  facilitates  the  production  of  perfect 
cylinder  casting,  and  further  enables  the  water  jackets 
to  be  made  uniform,  and  thoroughly  cleaned  out  before 
the  motor  is  built.  This  insures  perfect  cooling 
circulation.  Every  pair  of  cylinder  castings  are 
subjected  to  a  very  careful  inspection,  being  subjected 
to  a  sand  blast,  hand  filing,  and  finally  to  a  cold  water 
test.  The  cylinders  are  bored  three  times,  and  aged 
between  cuts  and  are  ground  to  exact  size  with  water 
flowing  through  the  water  jackets  to  keep  the 
temperature  uniform  and  prevent  distortion.  Each 
pair  of  cylinders  is  secured  to  the  bronze  crank  case 
by  eight  strong  heavy  studs,  with  double  lock  nuts 
and  cotter  pins.  This  absolutely  prevents  the  cylinders 
from  coming  loose  on  the  motor  base. 

Carbureter.  Placed  on  the  right,  or  admission  side 
of  the  motor.  The  Locomobile  carbureter  is  bronze, 
has  very  few  parts,  is  the  result  of  long  experience, 
and  as  a  result  operates  regularly  and  gives  a  satisfactory 
mixture  at  all  times.  The  induction  pipe  between  the 
carbureter  and  cylinders  is  bronze  composition. 

Fuel  Tank  and  Fuel  Feed.  The  Locomobile  gasolene 
tank,  like  everything  else  about  the  car,  is  permanently 


177 


H 


LOCO       MOB 


O      O 


Building  the  Locomobile  Motor,  twelfth  view 
Admission  side  complete,  with  magneto,  wiring  and  spark  plugs 

substantial.  It  is  constructed  of  24  gauge  sheet  steel, 
the  strongest  metal  available  for  the  purpose,  and  is 
heavily  galvanized  to  prevent  corrosion.  The  tank  is 
braced  internally  with  baffle  plates,  every  joint  and 
connection  is  reinforced ;  and  every  tank  is  tested  with 
gasolene,  upside  down  and  in  every  possible  position. 
The  opening  is  under  the  seat  cushion  at  the  left  of 
the  car,  provided  with  a  removable  strainer. 

Gravity    fuel   feed   is   employed;    superior   to   any 
pressure  system  on  account   of  its   greater  simplicity, 

178 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

reliability,  and  safety.  The  force  of  gravity  always 
operates,  whereas  any  pressure  system  is  artificial,  is 
more  complicated  and  needs  attention.  An  important 
advantage  of  the  gravity  system  is  that  the  tank  is 
located  under  the  front  seat,  where  it  is  completely 
concealed  and  protected.  The  fuel  tank  is  located  at 
a  sufficient  elevation  above  the  carbureter  to  insure  a 
steady  flow  of  gasolene  at  all  times.  The  discharge 
pipe  is  located  at  the  right  and  extreme  rear  end  of 
the  tank,  so  that  the  entire  contents  are  available  for 
use  and  the  car  may  be  operated  until  the  last  drop  is 
gone.  A  large  cone-shaped  strainer  is  permanently 
placed  over  the  outlet  in  the  bottom  of  the  tank  to 
prevent  impurities  from  passing  to  the  carbureter. 

Timing  Gears.  Placed  at  the  front  of  the  motor  in 
a  housing  formed  by  an  extension  of  the  bronze  engine 
bed,  protected  by  an  aluminum  cover.  The  timing 
gears  are  of  metal  and  cut  in  our  shop,  following  our 
practice  for  the  past  eight  years  or  more.  Metal  gears 
are  absolutely  unaffected  by  the  action  of  oil ;  fibre 
gears  or  composition  gears  swell  when  immersed  in  oil 
and  shrink  when  the  car  is  not  used ;  and,  lastly,  do  not 
wear  as  long  as  metal  gears.  There  are  five  gears  in 
the  case:  crank-shaft  gear,  admission  cam-shaft  gear, 
exhaust  cam-shaft  gear,  pump  gear,  and  magneto 
gear.  The  separate  gears  are  cut,  and  the  complete 
train  of  gears  assembled  with  the  greatest  possible  care, 

i79 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

to  produce  silent  running.     The  gears  dipping  into  a 
bath  of  oil,  lubrication  is  continuous  and  thorough. 

Testing.  We  have  tested  every  motor  under  its 
own  power  that  we  have  ever  built,  and  we  have 
preserved  a  record  of  this  test.  This  will  serve  as  an 
example  of  our  endeavor  to  make  every  motor  as  well 
and  as  thoroughly  as  possible.  When  the  motor  is 
completed  by  the  assembling  department,  it  is  timed 
and  then  flooded  with  oil  and  placed  on  the  stand 
where  it  is  driven  by  a  belt  for  a  considerable  period 
of  time  until  it  is  somewhat  limbered  up.  It  is  then 
placed  on  the  test  stand,  and  equipped  with  its  own 
carbureter  and  magneto  and  ignition  apparatus,  and 
run  under  its  own  power,  slowly  at  first,  and  then  more 
rapidly.  After  it  is  broken  in,  its  power  is  tested  by 
engaging  the  fly-wheel  with  the  armature  shaft  of 
a  dynamo.  As  the  motor  drives  the  dynamo  its 
mechanical  power  is  transformed  into  electrical  power, 
which  is  easily  and  exactly  measured.  Each  motor 
is  operated  on  the  test  stand  until  it  fulfills  the  test. 


180 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    TEN 

COOLING  SYSTEM 

The  cooling  system  of  any  automobile  is  a  very 
important  part  of  it,  and  one  that  ought  to  be  investi- 
gated carefully  by  the  prospective  purchaser.  Nothing 
can  be  more  disagreeable  than  to  operate  an  inadequately 
cooled  car  in  hilly  country.  In  some  sections  of  the 
country  the  cooling  system  of  a  car  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  for  everyday  service,  and  cars  which  will 
not  run  for  long  periods  of  time  on  the  first  and 
second  speeds  without  overheating  are  utterly  impracti- 
cable. Further  than  this,  nothing  is  more  annoying 
than  lack  of  reliability  in  the  cooling  system;  a  leaky 
radiator,  leaky  piping  or  a  defective  water  pump  are 
certainly  matters  to  be  avoided  at  any  cost. 

The  Locomobile  water-cooling  system  is  exceed- 
ingly desirable  because  it  is  entirely  adequate  and 
perfectly  reliable.  The  Locomobile  motor  is  noted 
for  its  ability  to  run  all  day  long  in  hilly  country  and 
in  warm  weather  without  overheating,  and  its  ability 
to  operate  year  after  year  without  giving  trouble. 

The  water  jackets  on  Locomobile  cylinders  are 
carefully  cleaned  out  before  the  motor  is  assembled, 
this  operation  being  facilitated  by  the  construction  of 


181 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Type  "  L  "  Radiator  and  Front  Axle 

the  castings.  Each  pair  of  cylinders  is  open  at  the  top 
and  provided  with  a  cover  plate.  The  cylinders  and 
valves  are  completely  water-jacketed  and  the  circulation 
is  ample  and  rapid,  and  produces  a  thoroughly  satisfactory 
cooling  of  the  cylinders. 

The  centrifugal  pump  is  mounted  on  the  exhaust 
side  of  the  motor  and  is  durably  constructed  of  bronze, 
material  which  is  used  throughout  the  Locomobile  in 
preference  to  aluminum  wherever  reliability  is  an 
important  consideration  and  a  small  saving  in  weight 
exceedingly  unimportant.  The  vanes  of  the  pump 


182 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

are  mounted  at  the  rear  end  of  the  steel  pump  shaft 
which  is  driven  by  a  gear  placed  in  the  housing  at  the 
front  end  of  the  motor,  and  meshing  with  the  exhaust 
cam-shaft  gear.  The  base  of  the  pump  rests  on  a  flat 
extension  of  the  bronze  motor  base,  and  is  secured  to 
it  by  heavy  screws,  the  piping  leading  to  the  cylinders 
also  stiffening  the  construction  and  preventing  the 
pump  from  moving  or  working  loose.  In  case  it 
should  ever  be  desired  to  remove  the  pump,  it  can 
be  very  readily  done  as  the  pump  shaft  is  made 
in  two  parts  connected  by  a  coupling.  There  is  a 
long  stuffing  box  where  the  pump  shaft  enters  the 
pump,  and  lubrication  at  this  point  is  provided  for 
by  a  grease  cup.  A  pet  cock  at  the  bottom  ot 
the  pump  allows  water  to  be  drawn  off  in  the  winter 
if  desired. 

The  radiator  is  exceedingly  neat  and  attractive  in 
appearance  and  is  placed  slightly  back  of  the  front 
axle  and  secured  to  one  of  the  cross  members  of  the 
frame  at  the  bottom  only,  so  that  there  is  no  racking 
action  on  any  of  the  joints,  and  thus  no  tendency  to 
produce  leaks,  an  exceedingly  important  feature.  The 
Locomobile  radiator  is  of  the  true  honeycomb  type, 
possessing  the  greatest  efficiency ;  and  the  workmanship 
being  of  the  best  character  obtainable,  may  be 
depended  upon  to  give  satisfactory  service  from  year 
to  year  without  leakage. 

183 


H 


LOG 


M      O      B       I 


BOO 


The  Centrifugal  Water  Pump.      Made  of  bronze 


The  centrifugal  pump  draws  the  cooling  water 
from  the  base  of  the  radiator  and  forces  it  up  through 
the  water  jackets  and  out  of  the  top  of  the  motor  into 
a  copper  pipe,  thence  back  to  the  radiator  through  a 
heavy  rubber  hose  connection,  there  being  a  union 
placed  at  the  end  near  the  radiator. 

Back  of  the  radiator  is  an  eight-bladed  aluminum 
fan  which  draws  air  in  through  the  cells  of  the 
radiator,  thus  cooling  the  water  flowing  through  it. 
The  fan  shaft  runs  on  ball  bearings  which  are  packed 

184 


H       £ 


LOCO       MOB       I 


BOO 


Diagram  ot  cooling  system  "  30  "  Locomobile.      The  arrows  indicate  the 
direction  of  the  flow  ot  water 


in  grease,  which  requires  renewing  only  about  once  a 
year.  The  fan  shaft  is  mounted  on  a  bracket  secured 
to  the  base  of  the  motor.  A  leather  belt  drives  the 
fan,  one  pulley  being  on  the  pump  shaft,  the  other  on 
the  fan  shaft  with  provision  for  convenient  adjustment 
of  the  belt  if  necessary. 

In  the  Locomobile  cooling  system  every  precaution 
is  taken  to  insure  satisfactory  service  without  minor 
inconvenience;  the  piping  is  of  the  best  quality,  all 
joints  and  connections  are  made  with  great  care,  and 

185 


H 


O      C       O      M      O      B 


BOO 


every  radiator  is  thoroughly  tested  with  cold  water 
pressure  before  it  is  put  on  a  car.  An  important  part 
of  the  finished  product  is  the  water-cooling  system  and 
no  car  is  approved  until  every  detail  in  connection 
with  it  is  entirely  satisfactory. 


186 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK. 

CHAPTER    ELEVEN 

THE  FOUR-SPEED  TRANSMISSION 

Advantages  of  the  Four -Speed  Selective  Transmission. 
Early  automobiles  had  two  speeds,  as  a  general  rule. 
Later,  three  speeds  were  commonly  employed,  and 
today  the  high  class  car  has,  or  should  have,  four  speeds. 
A  car  provided  with  four  speeds  is  more  flexible  than 
one  with  three  speeds;  the  operator  has  more  tools  to 
work  with,  he  can  operate  the  car  better  under  any 
road  conditions  at  any  particular  time,  the  car  is  more 
easily  accelerated  and  operated  with  less  shock  to  the 
motor  and  transmission.  The  four- speed  transmission 
is  as  much  better  than  the  three  as  the  three  is  superior 
to  the  two -speed  transmission.  It  occupies  no  more 
room,  is  no  mor  complicated,  requires  no  more  attention 
and  no  more  lubrication. 

Generally  speaking,  there  are  three  types  of 
transmission  gear:  planetary,  progressive  sliding -gear 
system,  and  the  selective  sliding  gear.  The  first  system, 
the  planetary,  only  lends  itself  well  to  two  speeds,  and 
is  rarely,  if  ever,  used  nowadays  except  on  cheap, 
small  cars.  The  progressive  system  is  used  less  than 
it  used  to  be,  and  has  given  way,  particularly  in 
the  high  class  cars,  to  the  selective  transmission. 

187 


H 


LOCO       MOB 


BOO 


Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  first  view.      The  bronze  case 

Note  supporting  points  at  four  corners  and  reverse  pinion  at  left  ;  also  grease 

stand  pipe  at  right,  regulating  the  depth  of  lubricant 


188 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

selective  system  lends  itself  perfectly  to  the  use  of  four 
speeds.  The  term  "selective"  means  that  the  operator 
selects  one  of  two  sliding  members  to  operate,  certain 
speeds  being  obtained  from  one  gear  and  different  speeds 
from  the  other  gear.  For  example,  in  the  Locomobile 
the  forward  sliding  gear  gives  third  and  fourth 
speeds,  the  rear  sliding  gear  gives  first  and  second  speeds 
and  reverse.  The  particular  advantage  of  the  selective 
transmission  is  its  greater  ease  of  operation;  gears  may  be 
shifted  easily,  with  absolute  certainty  and  without  the 
need  of  any  complicated  mechanism.  There  is  a  definite 
stop  position  for  every  position  of  the  lever.  Gear 
changing  with  the  Locomobile  is  particularly  easy 
as  there  are  only  two  slots  in  the  quadrant  instead 
of  three.  The  Locomobile  transmission  is  simple, 
convenient  and  easy  to  operate ;  it  is  absolutely  reliable 
and  requires  little  or  no  maintenance. 

Bronze  Case.  The  transmission  case  consists  of  a 
single  casting  of  manganese  bronze,  the  strongest  material 
that  can  be  cast  in  light  section  and  intricate  form.  The 
cover  of  the  transmission  is  not  subjected  to  any  stress 
whatever,  consequently  is  made  of  aluminum.  Thus 
the  transmission  case  is  moderate  in  weight,  vastly 
superior  in  strength.  The  absolute  reliability  of  the 
Locomobile  transmission  is  in  a  large  measure  due 
to  the  rigid  character  of  the  base,  which  prevents  the 
gears  and  shafts  from  getting  out  of  line. 

189 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  second  view 
The  ball  bearing  countershaft  with  gears  assembled  on  it  is  first  installed 


190 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Location.  The  Locomobile  transmission  is  placed 
in  the  center  of  the  chassis  frame,  where  it  is  protected 
from  road  shock.  The  projections  of  the  bronze  base 
are  extended  up  to  meet  the  cross  members  of  the 
frame  and  are  securely  bolted  thereto.  There  are  four 
points  of  support,  one  at  each  corner  of  the  case. 

Gears.  There  are  ten  gears  in  the  transmission 
case.  Each  one  is  strictly  a  Locomobile  product  from 
beginning  to  end — from  rough  material  to  finished 
product.  Material  used  is  alloy  steel,  heat-treated. 
Gear  teeth  are  cut  on  the  best  obtainable  gear  cutting 
machinery,  are  absolutely  uniform,  and  absolutely 
correct  as  regards  the  shape  of  the  teeth.  Gears  are 
carefully  tested  for  hardness  and  elasticity,  and  are 
measured  within  .0001  of  an  inch. 

Shafts.  These  are  alloy  steel,  heat-treated.  Parti- 
cular attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  the  case  is 
compact  and  the  shafts  are  large  in  size  and  relatively 
short.  They  combine  to  produce  the  greatest  possible 
strength  and  prevent  any  mis-alignment  due  to  bending. 
Locomobile  transmission  shafts  are  made  in  the 
Locomobile  plant  from  raw  material  to  finished  product. 

A  Grease -Tight  Case.  Transmission  gears,  shafts 
and  bearings  are  lubricated  by  soft  grease.  This  grease 
is  thrown  about  by  the  rotating  shafts  and  gears,  every 
wearing  surface  being  constantly  coated  by  the  lubricant. 
The  design  of  the  case,  and  care  used  in  assembling, 

191 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  third  view 

Clutch  pinion  with  ball  bearing  is  shown  at  the  right,  or  front,  of  the  case.*    It 
is  always  in  mesh  with  the  forward  gear  on  the  countershaft 


192 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

prevent  leakage  of  grease,  so  that  the  car  may  be  driven 
for  several  thousand  miles  without  adding  to  the  supply 
of  grease. 

Operation.  A  clear  illustration  of  the  Locomobile 
four-speed  transmission  is  shown  on  page  196.  At  the 
left  is  the  universal  joint,  located  to  the  rear  of  the  gear 
box.  When  the  lever  is  in  the  outer  slot  of  the 
quadrant  and  pushed  as  far  forward  as  it  will  go,  with 
button  on  top  depressed,  reverse  speed  is  engaged. 
This  action  of  the  gear  lever  causes  the  rear  sliding 
member  to  move  backward  until  the  large  portion  of 
it  meshes  with  the  idle  pinion  at  the  bottom  and  rear 
of  the  case. 

When  the  gear  lever  is  in  the  outer  slot  of  the 
quadrant  and  pushed  as  far  forward  as  it  will  go  without 
touching  the  button  on  top,  the  large  gear  of  the  rear 
sliding  member  meshes  with  the  rear  gear  on  the 
countershaft,  and  this  gives  first  speed. 

The  gear  lever  now  being  pulled  back  to  rear 
position  in  the  outer  quadrant,  the  sliding  member 
moves  forward  until  the  small  gear  meshes  with  the  third 
gear  on  the  countershaft,  and  this  gives  second  speed. 

The  lever  is  now  pulled  through  the  gate  and 
pushed  forward  as  far  as  it  will  go,  this  causing  the 
front  sliding  member  to  move  backward  until  the  gear 
meshes  with  the  second  gear  on  the  countershaft. 
This  gives  third  speed. 


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Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  fourth  view 

The  square  main   driving   shaft  with  two  sliding  members  is  shown.    ^ 
universal  joint  at  rear  of  case.      In  actual  assembly,  the  square  shaff 
and  clutch  pinion  are  installed  as  a  unit 


194 


MOBILE  BOO 


When  the  gear  lever  is  pushed  back  as  far  as  it  will 
go  in  the  inner  slot,  the  forward  sliding  member  moves 
ahead  until  the  jaw  clutch  integral  with  it  locks  with 
a  corresponding  jaw  clutch  integral  with  the  clutch 
pinion.  This  gives  fourth  speed.  The  clutch  pinion 
is  always  in  mesh  with  the  first  gear  on  the  countershaft. 

Testing.  A  very  interesting  feature  of  Locomobile 
transmission  construction  is  the  testing  of  each  and 
every  transmission.  This  is  accomplished  by  means  of 
the  special  apparatus  described  in  an  earlier  chapter. 


195 


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BOO 


Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  fifth  view 

The  addition  of  the  necessary  mechanism  to  move  the  sliding  gears  completes 
the  contents  of  the  case.  There  are  two  forks  that  engage  with  the  two  sliding 
gears  on  the  squared  shaft,  and  operated  by  a  lever  connected  with  the  hand -gear 
lever.  When  the  gear  lever  is  placed  in  the  outer  slot  and  moved  backward 
and  forward,  the  three  different  positions  that  give  reverse,  first,  and  ^second 
speeds,  correspond  with  definite  positions  of  the  rear  sliding  member  ana  fixed 
by  a  plunger  on  the  outer  fork  shaft.  When  the  gear  lever  is  moved  from  the 
outer  slot  to  the  inner  one,  the  lever  that  shifts  the  forks  moves  from  one  to 
the  other.  The  two  positions  that  give  third  and  fourth  speeds  on  the  inner 
slot  correspond  with  definite  positions  of  the  sliding  gear  and  are  established 
by  a  plunger  on  the  inner  fork  shaft. 


196 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  the  Locomobile  Transmission,  sixth  view 

The  aluminum  cover  plate  is  placed  in  position.      Note  circular  plate  ;  also 
grease  plug  at  upper  right  hand  corner 


197 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    TWELVE 

REAR   AXLE   AND    SHAFT-DRIVE   SYSTEM 

The  shaft  system  of  final  drive  is  now  in  almost 
general  use  because  it  is  quiet  in  operation  and 
requires  little  attention  in  the  way  of  lubrication 
and  maintenance.  The  importance  of  examining  the 
shaft-drive  construction  of  a  car  before  purchasing 
is  shown  by  the  wide  difference  in  design  which 
exists  today.  There  is  probably  more  difference  in 
shaft-drive  design  than  there  is  in  engine  design.  For 
1911  we  are  building  shaft-drive  exclusively  and  are 
able  to  offer  the  same  reliability  obtained  by  the  use 
of  our  former  chain-drive  cars.  This  we  believe  has 
been  abundantly  proven  by  the  performance  of  our 
shaft-drive  models  in  1909  and  1910.  We  believe 
that  the  Locomobile  shaft-drive  system  contains  more 
features  that  go  to  make  up  perfection  than  any  other 
shaft-drive  car.  Some  of  these  features  are: 

i.  Great  strength  with  light  weight.  All  weight 
below  the  springs  and  not  supported  by  them  is  dead 
load,  and  the  greater  the  amount  of  this,  the  harder 
the  car  will  ride.  We  use  alloy  steel  in  our  rear  axle 
tubes,  the  strongest  steel  there  is,  enabling  us  to 
produce  a  light  axle  and  thus  an  easy  riding  car. 


199 


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LOG       O       MOBI       L       E 


BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  first  view 
The  rear  axle  consists  of  four  parts,  the  two-part  central  housing  and  axle  tubes 

2.  We  remove  all  torsional  stress  from  the  rear 
axle,    which    makes    for    easy    riding    and    increased 
reliability. 

3.  There   is   no    brazing    in  the   rear   axle  con- 
struction. 

4.  There  are  no  keyways  or  keys. 

5.  Every  stress  is  properly  taken  care  of  and  there 
is  no  friction  or  cramping. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

6.  We   do   not    drive    through    the    springs    but 
through  distance  rods,  as  in  chain-drive  construction. 

7.  Large    gears,    shafts,     and    imported    annular 
bearings,  reducing  wear  and  eliminating  breakage. 

8.  Free     action     of    differential    when     turning 
corners,  reducing  wear  on  tires. 

Rear  Axle  Tubes  and  Housing.  The  rear  axle 
consists  of  a  built-up  design,  with  central  housing 
containing  the  bevel  gears  and  differential,  lateral  tubes 
carrying  the  load  and  containing  the  rotating  live 
axles  which  transmit  power  to  the  wheels.  The 
central  housing  consists  of  two  steel  castings,  strongly 
ribbed  and  bolted  together  with  twelve  heavy  bolts. 

The  steel  tubes  are  forced  into  the  opening  in  the 
end  of  each  section  of  the  housing  by  hydraulic 
pressure.  The  housing  is  placed  in  a  hydraulic  press 
and  the  tube  is  forced  into  the  opening  of  the  outer 
end,  the  amount  of  pressure  ranging  from  18,000  to 
22,000  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  Great  care  is 
taken  to  prevent  excessive  pressure  as  this  might 
exceed  the  elastic  limit  of  the  housing. 

A  great  advantage  in  this  form  of  construction  is 
that  /'/  eliminates  brazing.  A  brazed  joint  is  undesirable 
because  its  strength  is  unknown.  It  may  be  very  strong, 
it  may  have  little  or  no  strength.  In  the  Locomobile 
rear  axle  there  is  no  brazing  from  end  to  end.  So 
far  as  we  know,  this  is  true  of  no  other  car.  It  is 


201 


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BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  second  view 
The  axle  tubes  have  been  forced  into  the  ends  of  the  housing  and  riveted  into  plice 


impossible  to  braze  alloy  steel,  consequently  other 
.nakers  cannot  use  alloy  steel  in  their  rear  axle  tubes. 
It  is  evident  that  this  combination  of  alloy  steel 
vithout  brazing  is  a  very  strong  advantage  of  our  car. 


aoa 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  tubes  are  of  large  diameter  at  their  inner 
ends  to  give  great  strength.  It  is  necessary  to  reduce 
this  diameter  at  the  outer  ends,  but  it  is  accomplished 
by  a  gradual  taper  instead  of  a  shoulder.  This 
arrangement  prevents  any  concentration  of  stress, 
permits  the  use  of  a  tube  of  uniform  wall  thickness, 
with  maximum  strength  and  minimum  weight. 

Contents  of  Central  Housing.  The  power  of  the 
motor  is  transmitted  through  the  propeller  shaft  to 
the  pinion  gear  at  its  rear  end.  The  pinion  gear 
located  in  the  forward  extension  of  the  central  housing 
is  supported  with  the  greatest  care  and  runs  on  large 
imported  ball  bearings.  A  thrust  bearing  is  provided  to 
take  the  thrust  of  this  pinion.  The  driving  pinion 
meshes  with  a  large  bevel  driving  gear  which  is  sub- 
stantially bolted  to  the  case  containing  the  differential, 
the  power  thus  passing  through  the  differential  case  to 
the  differential  pinion  gears. 

Differential.  The  Locomobile  differential  is  so 
designed  that  the  members  are  very  large  in  size  for 
the  work  they  have  to  do  and  are  constructed  of  the 
finest  materials  —  consequently  there  is  never  any 
breakage  and  the  wear  is  the  minimum.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  differential  permits  a  rigid  housing  and 
shaft  for  the  installation  of  the  driving  gear.  The 
firmness  with  which  the  small  pinion  of  the  differential 
is  supported,  is  an  important  feature.  Under  no 


103 


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i  The  Locomobile  Differential  and  Compensating  Gear 

I.    One    half   of   case.       2.    Pinion   gears    mounted.        3.    Bevel   and  pinion 
gears  assembled.      4.    One  half  of  case  with  gears. 
5.   Case  complete  with  ball  bearings 


circumstances  will  the  differential  cramp  when  the  car 
is  turning  a  sharp  corner  —  this  freeness  of  operation 
is  an  essential  point  in  connection  with  the  wear 
on  tires. 

The  differential  pinions  mesh  with  the  bevels,  the 
power  passing  from  the  latter  to  the  live  axles.  Tne 
inner  ends  of  the  live  axles  are  squared  and  fit  in 
the  square  holes  in  the  bevel  gears  of  the  differential. 
Their  outer  ends  are  in  the  form  of  jaw  clutches 
which  connect  with  similar  jaw  clutches  in  the  hub  of 
the  wheel.  These  clutches  are  integral  with  the  live 


204 


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M      O      B       I 


BOO 


axles,  a  light,  strong  construction.    The  live  axles  a 
removable   by  simply    unscrewing    the   hub  caps  and 
withdrawing  them  from  the  tubes.     The  hub  caps  on 
the  wheels  are  merely  dust  covers  and  are  no  part  of 
the    shaft-drive    system,    and    have    no    tendency 
unscrew  and  fall  off. 

Truss  Rods.     Tension    members    pass    undernea 
the  bottom  of  the  housing  to  prevent  the  stresses  fro 
being  centered.      This  enables  us  to  use  a  lighter  ax)^ 
than  we  ordinarily  could.      Locomobile  truss  rods  a 
anchored  at  their  outer  ends  and  meet  in  a  turnbuck]  \ 
which   provides    for    adjustment   should   this   ever   be 
necessary. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft- Drive  System,  third  view 
Shows  the  driving  pinion  at  left,  with  large  annular  bearing  am   slip  univcn 
joint ;    also  the  driving  bevel  gear  at  right,  with  differen.ial, 
all  contained  in  the  central  housing 


105 


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Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  fourth  view 

Shows  the  rear  axle  assembled  ;  also  shows  one  of  the  live  axles  inserted  in  the 
axle  tube  at  the  left,  the  other  withdrawn 


Spring  Chairs.  The  rear  springs  are  mounted  on 
spring  seats  or  chairs,  fitted  to  the  rear  axle  and 
provided  with  a  bearing.  Consequently  any  tendency 
which  would  cause  the  spring  chair  to  twist  the  rear 
axle  is  removed.  The  spring  chair  bearings  on  the 
rear  axle  consist  of  bronze  bushings  with  endless 
grooves,  and  adequately  lubricated  by  grease  cups. 
The  bottom  portion  of  the  spring  chair  is  formed  with 
a  projection  extending  downward  vertically,  which 
forms  a  lifting  point  for  the  jack.  This  is  a  very 
convenient  arrangement,  as  the  renewal  or  displacement 
of  tires  makes  it  necessary  to  jack  up  the  rear  axle 
under  the  most  unexpected  conditions. 


206 


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BOOK 


Distance  Rods.  Power  is  transmitted  through 
distance  rods  exactly  as  in  the  best  double  side  chain- 
drive.  Each  distance  rod  has  a  lubricated  bearing  on 
the  rear  axle  consisting  of  a  bronze  bushing  working 
against  the  alloy  steel  of  the  rear  axle,  the  bushing 
being  provided  with  endless  grooves,  and  lubricated 
by  a  grease  cup.  The  front  end  of  the  distance  rod 
resembles  a  universal  joint  as  it  is  so  arranged  that 
complete  provision  is  made  for  any  stresses  which 
tend  to  twist  it  or  bend  it.  The  bearings  that  admit 
compensation  for  these  stresses  consist  of  hardened 
steel  pins  and  bronze  bushings  with  complete  grease 
cup  lubrication. 

Live  Rear  Axles.  These  transmit  the  power  from 
the  differential  to  the  wheels,  their  inner  ends  having  a 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  fifth  view 

The  propeller  shaft  is  installed  with  universal  joints  at  both  ends,  also  the  torsion 
rod  at  the  right  of  it,  with  spring-supported  front  end 


aoy 


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L      O      C      O       M      O      B       I 


BOO 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  sixth  view 

The  distance  rods  have  been  added  with  lubricated  bearings  on  rear  axle  tubes  ; 
also  the  spring  chairs  with  lubricated  bearings  on  rear  axle  ;  also  truss  rod 


square  fit  in  the  differential  bevel  gears.  The  inner  ends 
of  the  live  axles  are  fully  supported  in  the  differential 
housing  and  run  on  bearings  of  liberal  dimensions. 
There  is  also  contained  in  the  central  housing  a  thrust 
ball  bearing  for  the  bevel  driving  gear. 

Propeller  Shaft  and  Universal  "Joints.  The  Locomo- 
bile propeller  shaft  is  constructed  of  alloy  steel, 
heat-treated — a  Locomobile  product  from  beginning 
to  end.  It  is  practically  horizontal  when  the  car  is 
loaded,  this  giving  a  straight  line  drive.  The  shaft 
is  fitted  with  two  full  universal  joints,  one  at  each  end, 
which  compensate  for  all  stresses  tending  to  cause  any 
cramping  or  binding  action.  Many  cars  have  but  one 
universal  joint;  few,  if  any,  have  the  combination  of  a 


208 


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BOOK 


horizontal  driving  shaft  with  a  universal  joint  at  each 
end  and  locked  in  place  under  all  conditions. 

The  forward  universal  joint  is  of  the  yoke  pattern, 
giving  motions  in  two  directions  at  right  angles.  It 
is  encased  in  a  metal  housing  packed  with  grease. 
The  universal  joint  at  the  rear  of  the  propeller  shaft 
is  a  slip  universal  joint,  and  provides  compensation  for 
any  tendency  to  cause  a  change  in  the  distance  between 
the  center  of  the  rear  axle  and  the  transmission. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Shaft-Drive  System,  seventh  view 

The  wheels  have  been  added.      Note  notches  on  right  hand  wheel  hub. 
These  engage  with  similar  ones  on  outer  end  of  live  axle 


109 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Torsion  Rod.  In  some  cars  the  torsion  rod  consists 
of  a  tube  covering  the  propeller  shaft,  but  with  this 
style  of  construction  only  one  universal  joint  is  possible, 
with  the  result  that  the  stresses  are  not  taken  care  of 
satisfactorily.  In  the  Locomobile  the  torsion  rod  is 
rigidly  mounted  on  the  rear  housing,  the  front  end 
being  spring  supported  to  a  cross  member  of  the  frame. 
The  torsion  rod  transmits  the  torque  reaction  between 
the  body  and  the  road  without  affecting  the  action 
of  the  springs,  and  reduces  the  tendency  to  raise  the 
body  when  the  car  is  started. 


210 


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Plan  View  of  the  "30"  Chassis,  Type  "  L  ",  Four-Cylinder 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER    THIRTEEN 

CHASSIS    CONSTRUCTION 

Chassis  Frame.  This  is  an  exceedingly  important 
component  of  a  car,  and  the  Locomobile  frame  is 
characterized  by  its  great  strength.  The  material  used 
is  pressed  alloy  steel,  heat-treated  ;  vastly  superior  in 
stiffness  and  durability  to  a  frame  constructed  of  cold 
rolled  steel,  or  other  low-priced  steel.  The  long, 
parallel  side  members  are  narrowed  in  front,  enabling 
the  operator  to  twist  the  front  wheels  at  a  sharp  angle 
and  to  turn  the  car  in  a  small  circle ;  at  the  point 
where  the  side  members  are  narrowed,  the  horizontal 
flanges  are  increased  in  area  to  secure  additional 
stiffness  against  side  stresses. 

Cross  members  of  pressed  steel  brace  the  frame, 
all  rivet  holes  being  drilled  instead  of  punched,  all 
rivets  being  put  in  hot,  and  each  one  tested.  Corners 
at  the  rear  are  braced  with  triangular  gusset  plates. 
The  Locomobile  frames  are  of  the  drop  variety, 
whereby  the  center  of  gravity  is  lowered  and  the 
general  effect  of  the  car  improved  without  any  reduc- 
tion in  clearance. 

The  Type  "L"  frame  is  dropped  2^  inches,  the 
Type  "M"  frame  4  inches. 

"3 


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Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

First  view 

Pressed  steel  frame  that  is  a  foundation 
for  the  motor  transmission  and  other 
mechanism.  Bird's-eye  view. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Second  view 

The  front  axle,  front  and  rear  springs 
have  been  installed,  also  the  headlight 
brackets  and  rear  spring  hanger  tube. 


214 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Springs.  The  front  ends  of  the  front  springs  are 
bolted  to  the  spring  horns  of  the  chassis  frame  and  are 
shackled  to  the  frame  at  their  rear  ends.  Lubrication 
is  accomplished  by  grease  cups.  The  spring  eyes  are 
fitted  with  steel  bushings  to  prevent  wear. 

All  Locomobile  springs,  both  front  and  rear,  are 
tongued  and  grooved  to  prevent  side  motion  and  are 
polished  and  assembled  with  graphite  to  insure  free 
action  and  prevent  wear.  Spring  leaf  retainers  are  also 
employed,  both  front  and  rear,  these  being  clipped 
around  the  four  top  leaves  of  each  spring  on  each  side 
of  the  axle.  There  are  seven  leaves  in  the  front  springs. 

Front  Axle.  The  front  axle  is  a  massive  Locomobile 
drop  forging,  heat-treated.  It  is  secured  to  the  front 
springs  on  each  side  by  two  heavy  drop  forged  spring 
clips  of  nickel  steel.  Any  side  motion  is  prevented  by 
a  vertical  dowel  pin,  part  of  which  is  in  the  axle  and 
part  in  the  spring.  The  spring  clip  bolts  pass  through 
horizontal  flanges  in  the  axle  and  are  secured  by  a  nut 
and  lock  nut,  the  end  of  the  bolt  being  headed  over  to 
prevent  any  possibility  of  the  ends  working  lose.  The 
front  axle  is  assembled  to  the  frame  with  steering  pivots 
and  cross-tie  rod  complete.  All  wearing  parts  are 
lubricated  by  grease  cups. 

The  next  process  of  assembling  is  to  secure  the 
rear  springs  to  the  chassis  frame.  A  heavy  steel  bracket 
bolted  to  the  frame  by  five  strong  bolts  carries  the  front 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Third  view 

The  motor  with  fly-wheel  has  been  placed 
in  position,  also  the  dashboard 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Fourth  view 

Transmission  case  has  been  secured  to  the 
frame  near  the  center 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

end  of  the  rear  springs,  the  shackle  bolt  passing  through 
the  rear  of  this  bracket.  The  rear  springs  are  shackled 
at  both  ends.  In  the  "L"  car  the  springs  are  semi- 
elliptic,  whereas  in  the  larger  Type  "M"  model,  the 
rear  springs  are  of  the  three-quarter  elliptic  variety. 
There  are  ten  leaves  in  the  rear  springs,  the  weight 
of  which  varies  with  the  load  to  be  carried,  the  springs 
being  heavier  for  limousine  bodies.  The  rear  springs 
are  secured  by  two  nickel  steel  clips  to  a  spring  chair 
which  fits  over  the  rear  axle  tube  and  has  a  lubri- 
cated bearing  thereon,  bronze  against  alloy  steel,  and 
each  bearing  is  adequately  lubricated  by  a  grease  cup. 
Both  front  and  rear  shackle  bolts  are  lubricated  by 
a  grease  cup. 

Motor.  Lateral  arms  of  the  bronze  crank  case 
extend  to  the  side  members  of  the  frame  and  are 
securely  bolted  thereto.  These  side  members  are  so 
shaped  that  the  upper  portions  rest  on  the  top  flanges  of 
the  frame,  thus  making  a  very  substantial  construction, 
and  a  very  simple  one.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
in  the  Locomobile  all  holes  drilled  through  the  pressed 
steel  frame  are  jig  drilled,  so  that  any  motor  will  fit 
any  frame.  This  is  also  true  of  the  assembly  of  the 
transmission,  springs  and  other  parts  of  the  frame. 

Transmission.  The  manganese  bronze  transmission 
case  of  the  Locomobile  is  provided  with  arms  at  the 
four  corners  which  extend  upward  and  are  securely 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Fifth  view 

The  clutch  and  clutch  rocker  case  have 
been  assembled  between  the  fly-wheel  and 
the  transmission. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Sixth  view 

The  rear  axle  is  added,  the  distance 
rods  are  shown  curving  outside  the  rear 
springs. 


218 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

bolted  to  cross  members  of  the  frame,  double  lock 
nuts  and  cotter  pins  being  used  to  secure  permanent 
connections.  After  the  motor  and  transmission  case 
have  been  installed,  the  clutch  and  driving  shaft  are 
located  and  very  carefully  aligned  so  that  the  power 
exerted  by  the  motor  is  transmitted  to  the  propeller 
shaft  without  frictional  loss  due  to  inaccurate  fitting. 

Rear  Axle.  Next  the  rear  axle,  with  central 
housing  containing  bevel  gears  and  differential,  is  put 
in  place,  this  being  accomplished  by  breaking  the  spring 
shackle  connections  and  slipping  the  axle  underneath 
the  frame  and  then  slipping  the  spring  chair  bearings 
through  the  ends  of  the  axle  tubes.  Distance  rods, 
which  establish  and  maintain  the  position  of  the  rear 
axle  with  respect  to  the  frame,  are  next  installed. 
The  propeller  shaft  is  then  connected  with  the  front 
universal  joint  which  is  placed  just  back  of  the  gear 
box,  and  is  connected  at  its  rear  end  with  a  slip 
universal  joint  at  the  forward  end  of  the  rear  axle 
housing.  The  assembling  of  this  part  of  the  car  is 
completed  by  the  installation  of  the  torsion  rod,  which 
is  made  fast  to  the  rear  axle  housing  at  its  rear  end, 
the  front  end  being  spring  supported  to  a  cross  member 
of  the  chassis  frame. 

Levers  and  Pedals.  The  various  levers  and  pedals 
with  their  shafts  and  fittings  are  very  carefully  put  in 
place  and  lined  up,  thus  making  brakes,  clutch,  and 

119 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Seventh  view 

Propeller  shaft  and  torsion  rod  have  been 
installed  between  the  transmission  and  rear 
axle. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis 

Eighth  view 

The  steering  gear,  pedals  and  hand  levers 
have  been  added 


aao 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

transmission  gears  operative.  The  details  of  assembly 
in  connection  with  these  various  parts  is  done  very 
substantially  and  accurately  for  the  reason  that  they  are 
all  very  important  and  essential  to  the  safe  operation 
of  the  car. 

Steering  Mechanism.  Next  the  Locomobile  steering 
column,  with  wheel,  is  mounted  on  the  frame,  the 
lower  portion  of  which  consists  of  a  two-part  housing 
of  manganese  bronze  containing  the  steering  gears,  and 
which  is  bolted  to  the  side  member  of  the  frame  at 
sides,  top,  and  bottom.  The  steering  connecting  rod  is 
now  assembled  with  right-hand  steering  knuckle  at  the 
front,  and  steering  tail  shaft  at  the  rear,  thus  making 
the  steering  mechanism  operative. 

Radiator.  At  the  front  end  of  the  frame  there  is 
a  pressed  steel  cross  member  in  the  form  of  a  cradle, 
which  supports  the  honeycomb  radiator.  At  the  base 
of  the  radiator  are  four  large  studs,  which  pass  through 
holes  in  the  pressed  steel  cradle,  and  are  securely  bolted 
to  it.  By  this  method  of  fastening  there  is  no  racking 
action  on  the  radiator,  consequently  no  tendency  to 
produce  leaking,  a  point  which  is  of  considerable 
importance.  The  bearing  for  the  starting  crank  is  a 
bronze  bracket  riveted  to  the  underside  of  the  radiator 
cradle. 

Muffler  and  Exhaust  Pipe.  The  muffler  is  a  metal 
cylinder  with  internal  departments  through  which  the 


221 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK. 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis,  ninth  view 
Exhaust  pipe  and  muffler  are  next  connected,  also  radiator 


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exhaust  gases  pass  until  they  leave  it  at  the  rear,  the 
sound  being  deadened.  The  muffler  is  bolted  to  the 
frame  at  the  end  of  the  car  near  the  rear,  and  after 
this  the  long  exhaust  pipe  and  exhaust  manifold  are 
connected. 

Running  Board  and  Fenders.  The  running  boards 
are  wide  and  substantially  built,  being  mounted  on 
heavy  Locomobile  drop  forged  brackets.  The  running 
boards  are  covered  with  heavy  cork  matting  and 
durably  bound  in  brass. 


Type  "  M  "  Radiator  and  Front  Axle 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Building  up  the  Locomobile  Chassis,  tenth  view 

The  chassis  is  shown  complete  with  wheels,  running  boards,  brake  shaft,  but  without 
bonnet  or  fenders 


224 


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Locomobile  fenders  are  designed  for  efficiency, 
durability,  and  graceful  appearance.  Both  front  and 
rear  fenders  are  constructed  of  sheet  metal,  braced  by 
Locomobile  drop  forgings,  and  mounted  on  Locomobile 
drop  forged  steel  brackets.  Fenders  are  provided  with 
inner  wings  or  shields  to  prevent  any  mud  or  water 
being  splashed  between  the  wheels  and  bonnet.  The 
fenders  are  strongly  constructed  to  prevent  deformation, 
rattling,  loosening,  or  breakage,  and  are  enameled  to 
produce  the  most  durable  finish.  The  design  is  such 
that  the  fenders  afford  the  maximum  protection. 

Wheels.  The  completion  of  the  chassis  is  arrived 
at  by  putting  on  the  wheels  (front  and  rear)  and  mud 
pan  ;  which  protects  the  clutch  and  other  mechanism 
from  mud  and  water.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  front 
wheels  run  on  roller  bearings  which  are  well  adapted 


Rear  Spring,  "  30  "  Locomobile,  showing  spring  chair  with  bearing 
and  lifting  point  for  jack 


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LOCOMOBI 


for  the  purpose  at  this  point  because  of  the  fact  that 
they  are  designed  to  take  care  of  the  end  thrust  which 
occurs  in  turning  corners,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
radial  load.  The  rear  wheels  run  on  imported  annular 
bearings.  There  are,  of  course,  two  bearings,  inner 
and  outer,  for  each  of  the  four  wheels. 


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THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

CHAPTER     FOURTEEN 

THE    CONTROL    OF    THE    CAR 

Steering  Wheel.  Most  cars  use  an  aluminum 
steering  wheel  with  a  wooden  grip.  The  superior 
strength  of  the  Locomobile  wheel  is  evinced  by  the 
fact  that  it  is  constructed  of  bronze,  with  a  black, 
hard  rubber  grip  moulded  around  the  rim.  Cases 
have  been  known  where  the  steering  wheel  has 
broken  in  the  hands  of  the  operator  at  a  critical 
moment ;  the  Locomobile  bronze  construction  renders 
this  impossible.  A  laminated  wood  grip  cracks  and 
opens  up  through  constant  handling  and  the  action 
of  the  weather,  whereas  the  Locomobile  hard  rubber 
grip  is  permanent. 

'Throttle  and  Spark  Advance.  On  the  top  of  the 
steering  wheel  is  mounted  the  quadrant  carrying  the 
hand  levers  stamped,  "Gas"  and  "Spark"  respectively. 
When  the  gas  lever  is  moved  toward  the  top  of  the 
wheel,  the  supply  of  gas  delivered  to  the  motor  is 
increased,  and  when  it  is  pulled  back  as  far  as  it  will  go 
just  enough  gas  is  admitted  to  keep  the  motor  turning 
over  at  slow  speed.  The  spark  advance  lever  is  pulled 
back  as  far  as  it  will  go  to  retard  the  spark,  and  is  moved 
toward  the  top  of  the  wheel  to  advance  the  spark. 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


Steering  Mechanism  showing  gears,  tail  lever,  rear  portion  of 
steering  connecting  rod 


228 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Steering  Gears.  The  power  exerted  at  the  rim  of 
the  steering  wheel  is  transmitted  through  the  inclined 
steering  shaft  to  the  worm  gears  located  in  the  bronze 
housing  at  the  base  of  the  steering  column.  The 
worm  gear  is  firmly  secured  to  the  lower  extremity 
of  the  steering  shaft,  and  meshes  with  the  sector  gear, 
which  is  a  full  circular  gear,  not  a  segment. 

Steering  Mechanism.  A  vertical  shaft,  called  the 
steering  tail  lever,  fits  over  the  outer  end  of  a  shaft 
integral  with  the  sector  gear.  The  connection  is  by 
a  hexagon  taper.  The  lower  end  of  the  tail-lever  is 
ball-shaped,  forming  a  portion  of  the  ball  and  socket 
joint  at  the  rear  end  of  the  steering-connecting  rod. 
There  is  a  similar  ball  and  socket  joint  at  the  other 
end  of  the  connecting  rod,  both  joints  being  very 
carefully  made,  packed  in  grease,  and  protected  by 
leather  boots  strapped  in  place.  Buffer  springs  at  each 
end  absorb  the  shocks  caused  by  rough  roads. 

The  right-hand  steering  knuckle  terminates  in  a 
ball,  forming  part  of  the  ball  and  socket  joint  at  the 
front  end  of  the  steering-connecting  rod.  A  cross-tie 
rod  connects  both  steering  knuckles.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  as  the  steering  wheel  is  turned,  the  horizontal 
sector  shaft  turns,  causing  the  lower  end  of  the  tail 
lever  to  move  backward  or  forward,  the  steering- 
connecting  rod  moving  backward  or  forward  with  it. 
As  a  result,  the  front  steering  wheels,  mounted  on 


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pivots  and  tied  together,  turn  to  the  right  or  left, 
depending  on  which  way  the  wheel  is  turned. 

Gear  Shifting.  The  gear  lever  is  located  at  the 
right  of  the  car,  operating  in  a  simple  two-slot 
quadrant.  It  is  very  easy  to  operate  a  selective  type 
of  transmission  in  any  case ;  but  the  four  speeds  of  the 
Locomobile  are  obtained  by  moving  the  lever  in  two 
slots  only,  which  makes  it  very  convenient. 

Clutch.  The  clutch  is  operated  in  the  conventional 
manner  by  a  push-pedal  operated  with  the  left  foot. 

The  Hand  Brake.  A  latch  lever  at  the  right  of 
the  car  when  pulled  backward  expands  the  internal 
brakes  against  the  inner  circumferences  of  the  brake 
drums  bolted  to  the  rear  wheels.  There  is  a 
brake  shoe  for  each  rear  wheel,  covered  with  asbestos 
and  wire  composition.  Operation  of  the  hand  lever 


Distance  Rod  and  Internal  Brake 


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on    the  "30"  automatically    disconnects    the    clutch 
before  the  brakes  take  hold. 

"The  Foot  Brake.  This  is  the  brake  ordinarily 
used  in  stopping  the  car  and  is  engaged  by  operating 
a  push  pedal  with  the  right  foot.  The  running  brake 
consists  of  two  shoes,  one  for  each  rear  wheel,  of  the 
external  contracting  variety,  operating  on  the  outer 
circumference  of  a  drum  mounted  on  the  rear  wheels. 
The  brakes  are  large  in  diameter,  producing  ample 
braking  effort,  and  are  wide,  diminishing  wear.  The 
shoes  are  lined  with  an  asbestos  and  wire  composition. 
In  case  it  is  desired  to  adjust  the  brakes  it  can  be  done 
with  little  trouble,  by  simply  turning  a  thumb  screw 
on  the  front  of  the  brake  one- half  turn,  one  turn  or 
whatever  may  be  needed. 


Same  view  as  on  preceding  page  only  with  foot  brake  added 


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Muffler  Cut-Out.  A  round  pedal  in  the  front  floor, 
operated  with  the  left  foot,  enables  the  operator  to 
open  or  close  the  muffler  cut-out  valve.  This  is 
convenient  in  testing  the  motor,  or  if,  for  any  reason, 
it  is  desirable  to  hear  the  clear,  sharp  exhaust.  The 
pedal  or  button  may  be  locked  in  place  with  the 
cut-out  valve  open.  Ordinarily  it  is  not  proper  to 
operate  the  car  with  a  free  exhaust. 


CHAPTER     FIFTEEN 

MISCELLANEOUS 


LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 


CHAPTER     FIFTEEN 

MISCELLANEOUS    INFORMATION    FOR 
MOTORISTS 

State  Laws.  The  digest  of  State  laws  printed  in 
this  chapter  contains  the  principal  information  needed 
from  time  to  time  by  the  tourist.  Most  States  exempt 
non-residents  either  indefinitely  or  for  a  limited  period 
of  time.  New  Jersey  is  at  this  time  a  notable  excep- 
tion to  this.  In  sections,  where  there  are  many  cars 
in  use,  regulations  are  very  strictly  enforced  and  extra 
care  must  be  taken.  If  in  doubt,  communicate  with 
the  proper  State  authorities  for  detailed  information 
regarding  the  State  law,  and  when  entering  any  large 
city,  if  you  are  in  doubt  about  the  traffic  regulations, 
an  inquiry  at  first  will  save  you  trouble.  For  instance, 
in  Boston  the  horn  must  be  sounded  before  every 
street  intersection  or  arrest  is  apt  to  follow. 

The  motorist  should  use  what  may  be  termed 
standard  lamp  equipment,  consisting  of  two  gas  head- 
lights, two  oil  side  lights,  and  one  rear  lamp  with  white 
light  illuminating  license  number,  and  red  light  showing 
to  the  rear.  Numbers  should  be  carried,  front  and  rear, 
and  should  not  swing.  In  a  number  of  States  the 
automobilist  will  get  in  trouble  if  his  tail  lamp  goes 

»35 


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STATE 

REGISTRATION 

LICENSE 

NUMBERS 

NON-RESIDENTS 

ALABAMA  . 

ARIZONA     . 
ARKANSAS  . 
CALIFORNIA 

COLORADO  .      . 
CONNECTICUT  . 

DELAWARE 

DISTRICT  or 
COLUMBIA  . 

FLORIDA     .     . 

GEORGIA    .     . 
IDAHO   .     .     . 
ILLINOIS     .      , 

Probate  Judge  of 
resident  county. 

No  license  required. 
Fee,  #0.25. 

No  provision. 

Not  exempt. 

No  State  Law. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at    Sacramento. 
$2,  perpetual. 

Chauffeur,  fa. 
Owner  may  drive. 

Rear,  3  inches 
high;  CAL.,  I 
inch  high;  black 
on  white  ground. 

Exempt  — 
both    owner   and 
chauffeur. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Hartford. 
Jan.  i  to  June  i. 
I    to    24   h.-p. 
$o.  50  per  h.  -p.; 
25  or  more  h.-p. 
$0.60  per  h.-p. 
June  i   to  Dec. 
31,  pro  rata  fees 
are  charged. 
A.L.A.M.  For- 
mula h.-p.  rating 

All  operators  must 
carry  license. 
$2,  annual. 

Numbers  front  and 
rear  furnished  by 
State.  Numbers 
of  one  State  only 
can  be  carried. 
Cannot  swing. 

Exempt  10  days 
if  registered  in 
home  State  and 
plates  comply 
with  regulations. 

Secretary  of  State 
at   Dover. 
$5,  annual. 

All  operators  must 
carry  license. 
$5,  annual. 

Front  and  rear,  fur- 
nished by  State. 

Exempt,  if  O.  K 
in  home  State. 

No  registration  fee 
required. 

Driver,  $2.  Secure 
from  Automobile 
Board,  Washing- 
ton. 

Rear,  3  inches 
high;  D.C.,  i 
inch  high. 

Exempt    10    days. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Tallahassee. 
$2,  perpetual. 

Chauffeur,  $2,  per- 
petual. None  re- 
quired by  owner. 

Rear,  3  inches 
long,  2  inches 
wide  ;  not  sup- 
plied. 

Exempt    30    days. 

i 

No  State  Law. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Springfield. 
$2,  annual. 

Chauffeur,  $i,  an- 
nual.        Owner 
may  drive. 

Front  and  rear,  4 
inches  high; 
ILL.,  i  inch 
high.  Black  on 
white.  Seal  must 
be  carried. 

Exempt,  if  carry- 
ing home  State 
numbers. 

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STATE 

REGISTRATION 

LICENSE 

NUMBERS 

NON-RESIDENTS 

INDIANA     .     . 

IOWA     .     .     . 

KANSAS      .     . 
KENTUCKY 
LOUISIANA  . 
MAINE 

MARYLAND 
MASSACHUSETTS 

MICHIGAN  .     . 
MINNESOTA 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Indianapolis. 
$lt  perpetual. 

None  required  for 
drivers. 

Front  and  rear,  4 
inches  high  5 
IND.  White  on 
black.  Not  sup- 
plied. 

Exempt,  if  carry- 
ing home  State 
numbers  and  in- 
itials. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  DCS  Moines. 
$S>  perpetual. 

Covered  by  regis- 
tration. 

One  rear,  3  inches 
high  ;  IA.,  2 
inches  high. 
Not  supplied. 

Exempt. 

No  State  Law. 

No  State  Law. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Augusta. 
$2,  perpetual 

Chauffeur,  $^t 
perpetual. 

Front  and  rear, 
supplied  by  State. 

Exempt,  if  home 
State  numbers 
front  and  rear  are 
carried. 

Commissioner     of 
Motor  Vehicles, 
Baltimore.    Fee, 
under  20  h.-p., 
$6  ;     20  to  40 
h.-p.,  j£i2  5  over 
40    h.-p.,  $18. 

Operator's  license 
required,  $2. 

Two  front  and 
rear,  furnished 
by  State.  Other 
tags  to  be  re- 
moved. Must 
not  swing. 

Exempt  7  consec- 
utive days   under 
special  permit. 
Enquire  Commis- 
sioner of  Motor 
Vehicle*. 

Mass.      Highway 
Comm.        Fee, 
less  than  20  h.-p. 
(A.L.A.M.  for- 
mula), $5;  20  to 
30  h.-p.,  £10  ; 
30  to  40  h.-p., 
£15;    40  to  50 

h.-p.,  $20  i     50 

h.  -p.    and   over, 

1*5- 

Driver's  license 
required,  $2. 

Front  and  rear,  fur- 
nished by  State. 

Exempt  for  any  10 
days  in  the  year, 
if  carrying  home 
State  numbers. 
Summer  residents 
may  pay  half  the 
State  fees  for  July, 
August  and  Sep- 
tember. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Lansing.   53* 

Chauffeur,  £2, 
annual. 

Two,  front  and 
rear. 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  St.  Paul.  Fee, 
$1.50,  annual. 

Chauffeur      only, 
$2   annual;    $i 
for  renewal. 

Front  and  rear,  fur- 
nished by  State. 
Remove  others. 

Exempt. 

H 


L      O      C       O       M      O      B 


BOOK 


STATZ 

REGISTRATION 

LICENSE 

NUMBERS 

NON-RESIDENTS 

MISSISSIPPI 
MISSOURI     . 

MONTANA  . 
NEBRASKA  . 

NEVADA     . 

NEW 
HAMPSHIRE 

NEW  JERSEY    . 

NEW  YORK       . 
(New  19  10  Law) 

NEW  MEXICO  . 

NORTH 
CAROLINA  . 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Jefferson  City. 
$1.50,  perpetual. 

Chauffeurs,  $2, 
perpetual. 

Front  and  rear  ; 
front  illuminated 
letters,  3  inches 
high;  Mo.,  2 
inches  high. 
White  on  black. 
Not  supplied. 

Exempt  20  days. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Lincoln. 
$i,  annual. 

None  required. 

Rear  only  ;  letters 
3  inches  high  5 
NEB.,  2  inches 
high.  Not  sup- 
plied. 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Carson   City. 

One  rear  seal  ;  must 
be  displayed. 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Concord. 
Fee,  $10. 

Chauffeur,  $5. 
Owner,  $i. 

Two,  furnished  by 
State. 

Exempt  10  days, 
conditionally. 

Commissioner    of 
Motor  Vehicles. 
Fee,    10    h.-p., 
$3;     II    to   29 
h.-p.,    $5;     30 
h.-p.  and  over, 
*IO. 

Driver'  s       license 
required,      grad- 
uated   according 
to  h.-p.,  $2  and 

$4- 

Front  and  rear,  fur- 
nished by  State. 

Not  exempt.  Spe- 
cial license,  good 
for  8  days,  on 
payment  of  $i. 

Annually  with 
Secretary  of  State 
at  Albany. 
25h.-p.(A.L.A. 
M.rating)orless, 
$5;    *5    to    35 
h.-p.,$io;35to 
50  h.-p.,  £155 
over     50     h.-p. 

**5- 

Chauffeur,  $2. 
Examination  re- 
quired. 

Owner  may  drive 

Rear,     3     inches 
high;  N.Y.     i 
inch  high. 
Furnished   by 
State. 
Illumination  rear 
number     impor- 
tant. 

Exempt,  if  prop- 
erly registered 
and  home  State 
reciprocates* 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Raleigh. 
Fee,  $5. 

2   number   plates, 
3    inches    high; 
N.C.iinchhigh. 

Exempt. 

H 


L      O      C 


M 


O      O      K 


STATE 

REGISTRATION 

LICENSE 

NUMBERS 

NON-RESIDENTS 

NORTH  DAKOTA 
OHIO      .      .      . 

OKLAHOMA 
OREGON 

PENNSYLVANIA 
RHODE  ISLAND 

SOUTH 
CAROLINA  .      . 

SOUTH  DAKOTA 
TENNESSEE 

TEXAS  .     .     . 
UTAH    .      .     . 

No  State  provision 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Columbus. 
Fee,  $5,  annual. 

Chauffeur,  $*, 
Annual,  Jan.  i. 

Front  and  rear, 
furnished  by 
State. 

Exempt,      when 
displaying    home 
State  numbers. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Salem. 
$3*  perpetual. 

None  required. 

I  rear,  3  inches 
high.  Light  on 
dark  preceded  by 
ORE.  3  inches 
high. 

Exempt. 

State    Highway 
Department, 
Harrisburg. 
Fee,    $5     under 
20  h.-p.  j   20  to 
50    h.-p.    £10; 
over  50  h.-p.  $15 

Driver's  license 
required. 
$2,  annually. 

2  plates  furnished 
by  State.  Other 
tags  to  be 
removed. 

Exempt,     10    days 
based     on     reci- 
procity. 

State    Board    of 
Public    Roads, 
Auto    Dept.,  at 
Providence. 
Fee,  5  to  20  h.  -p. 
£5  ;    20   to    30 
h.-p.  $10;  30  to 
40    h.-p.    £15; 
40  and  over  $25. 

Driver's  license 
required. 
Fee,$i. 

Front  and  rear,  fur- 
nished by  State. 

Exempt,  10  days  if 
home  State   laws 
are  complied  with. 

No  State  Law. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Pierre. 
Fee,  $i. 

Rear,  3  inches 
high,  S.D.  2 
inches  high. 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Nashville. 
Fee,  $2,  $i  for 
filing. 

Not  required. 

Front  and  rear, 
letters  3  inches 
high,  I  }4  inches 
wide. 

Not  exempt. 

County  Clerk. 
Fee,  $0.50. 

One,  6  inches 
high,  conspicu- 
ous. 

Not  exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Salt  Lake  City. 
Fee,  $2. 

One    rear    plate, 
seal      must      be 
displayed. 

Exempt. 

239 


H 


LOCO       MOB       I 


K 


STATE 

REGISTRATION 

LICENSE 

NUMBERS 

NON-RESIDENTS 

VERMONT  .     . 

VIRGINIA   .     . 

WASHINGTON  . 
W.  VIRGINIA  . 
WISCONSIN 

WYOMING  . 
ONTARIO,  CAN. 

QUEBEC,  CAN.  . 

NEW 
BRUNSWICK, 
CAN.     .     .     . 

NOVA   SCOTIA, 
CAN.     .     .     . 

Secretary  of  State, 
Montpelier,    $i 
per    h.    p.,   first 
registration  ; 
750.  second  reg- 
istration j     500. 
third. 

Driver's      license. 
Fee,    $2.       All 
drivers. 

Front    and     rear, 
furnished    by 
State. 

Exempt     not     ex- 
ceeding 10  days. 
Special    arrange- 
ment for  60  days 
or  less. 

Secretary  of  Com- 
monwealth, 
Richmond.  Fee, 
ft, 

No  driving  license 
required. 

One,  rear,  sup- 
plied by  State. 

Not  exempt. 

Secretary  of  State, 
Olympia.      Fee, 
$z  annually. 

Rear,  4  inches 
high;  WASH. 
same  size. 

Exempt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at  Charleston. 

Not  required. 

Two  numbers, 
plates  supplied  by 
State. 

Not  expressly  ex- 
empt. 

Secretary  of  State 
at     Madison. 
Fee,     $a,     per- 
petual. 

Rear,  3  inches 
high  with  Wis. 
supplied  by  State. 

Exempt  if  comply- 
ing with  home 
State  law. 

No  State  Law. 

Provincial    Secre- 
tary at  Toronto. 
Fee,  $4;  $2  re- 
newal, annual. 

Chauffeur'slicense 
required.  Fee, 
flfo 

Front  and  rear, 
furnished.  Re- 
move other  tags. 

Not  exempt. 

Comptroller  of 
Provincial  Rev- 
enue, Quebec. 
Fee,  $$. 

Ow  ne  r  '  s  and 
cha  uff  e  u  r  *  s 
license.  $5, 
annual.  April  i. 

4  inches  high,  I 
inch  wide,  front 
and  rear.  QUE. 
underneath. 

Non-resident  Cana- 
dians only  ex- 
empt. 

Secretary      Public 
Works,  Fred- 
ericton.         Fee, 
$*. 

Chauffeur's,  $2. 
Owner  may 
drive. 

Rear,  figures  3 
inches  high. 
N.  B.  one  inch 
high,  black  on 
white,  not  sup- 
plied. 

Exempt.  ^ 

Provincial    Secre- 
tary at   Halifax. 
Fee,  $5- 

Chauffeur's,  $z. 
Owner  may 
drive. 

Rear,  figures  3 
inches  high. 
N.S.  i  inch 
high,  black  on 
white. 

Exempt  if  comply- 
ing with  home 
Province  or  State. 

240 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

out  at  night,  so  extra  care  must  be  given  to  this  when 
touring.  Sound  the  horn  when  passing  under  bridges, 
culverts,  or  at  dangerous  points. 

Horse-power.  The  best  known  and  most  used 
formula  for  estimating  the  horse-power  of  an  automobile 
motor  is  that  known  as  the  A.  L.  A.  M.  formula 
because  of  its  adoption  by  the  Association  of  Licensed 
Automobile  Manufacturers.  This  formula  is  now  used 
as  a  standard  in  a  number  of  State  laws.  This  formula 
is  as  follows :  H.-P.=5^.  D  is  diameter  of  the 
cylinder,  N  is  the  number  of  cylinders,  and  2.5  is  a 
constant.  According  to  this  formula  the  four-cylinder 
motor  of  the  Type  "L"  "30"  Locomobile  develops 
32$  H.-P.,  and  the  six-cylinder  motor  of  the  Type 
"M"  "48"  Locomobile  develops  48}  H.-P. 

Automobile  Organizations.  The  largest  organization 
in  this  country  is  the  American  Automobile  Association, 
composed  of  thirty-six  State  associations  and  several 
hundred  clubs.  New  members  pay  $5.00  a  year  dues, 
but  are  not  required  to  pay  any  entrance  fee.  Member- 
ship is  of  value  in  connection  with  American  and 
foreign  touring,  and  other  matters,  details  of  which 
may  be  obtained  from  the  secretary,  Robert  Bruce, 
437  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 

The  Automobile  Club  of  America  maintains  a 
Bureau  of  Tours,  which  offers  information  and  assistance 
to  tourists  who  are  either  members  of  the  club  or 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

members  of  the  Bureau  of  Tours.  The  subscription 
fee,  securing  membership  in  the  Bureau  of  Tours, 
amounts  to  $10.00  a  year.  Inquiries  and  applications 
should  be  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Bureau  of 
Tours,  Automobile  Club  of  America,  54th  Street,  west 
of  Broadway,  New  York. 

The  Touring  Club  of  America,  Broadway  and  76th 
Street,  opposite  the  New  York  Branch  of  the  Loco- 
mobile Company  of  America,  makes  a  specialty  of 
supplying  touring  information  to  members. 

Route  Books  for  American  "Touring.  The  "Blue 
Book"  is  a  standard  publication  issued  for  the 
convenience  of  automobile  tourists,  and  is  the  official 
tour  book  of  the  American  Automobile  Association. 
Published  by  the  Class  Journal  Company,  23 1  West  39th 
Street,  New  York.  It  is  issued  in  four  parts  as  follows : 

Vol.  i.     New  York  State  and  Lower  Canada. 

Vol.  2.     New  England. 

Vol.  3.  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware, 
Maryland,  District  of  Columbia  and 
South-Eastern  States. 

Vol.  4.  Middle  Western  States.  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wiscon- 
sin, Kentucky,  Minnesota,  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Missouri. 

These  books  are  illustrated  with  maps.  Price  is 
$2.50  a  volume;  special  rates  to  members  of  the  A.  A.  A. 


242 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

The  tour  book  of  the  Automobile  Club  of  America 
is  a  good  publication,  containing  American  touring 
routes,  and  miscellaneous  information  on  foreign  touring, 
etc.  This  book  is  free  to  the  members  of  the  Bureau 
of  Tours ;  the  price  is  $3.00  to  the  general  public. 

American  Automobile  Maps.  "Pilot"  maps  of  the 
New  England  and  Hudson  River  districts  contain  103 
sectional  plates,  and  are  published  by  the  Automobile 
Blue  Book  Publishing  Co.,  New  York  and  Chicago. 
Large  maps  published  by  the  A.  C.  A.  are  on  sale  at 
the  Bureau  of  Tours,  New  York.  C.  S.  Mendenhall, 
512  Race  St.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  publishes  twenty  State 
automobile  maps,  and  issues  a  printed  folder  describing 
same,  which  will  be  sent  on  request. 

Road  maps  of  a  number  of  the  far  Western  States 
such  as  Colorado,  Wyoming,  Utah,  Nevada,  Idaho, 
Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  Montana,  are  published  by 
Clason.  Consult  your  bookseller.  Other  maps  are 
Servoss's  sectional  maps ;  Blanchard's  Pilot  maps  of 
New  England ;  Walker's  Adirondack  and  Canadian 
districts,  etc.  Brentano,  New  York,  publishes  a  cata- 
logue referring  to  automobile  maps. 

The  topographical  maps  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey  are  exceedingly  interesting  to  those 
who  are  familiar  with  contour  maps.  They  are  useful 
in  exploring  a  limited  area,  because  they  give  so  much 
accurate  and  detailed  information.  Address  the 


243 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

Director,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  he  will  furnish  advertising  matter  regarding  them. 

Foreign  Route  Books  and  Maps.  Publications  for 
the  benefit  of  foreign  touring  are  many  in  number. 
Brentano,  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  publishes  a  cata- 
logue of  such  publications,  and  this  may  be  consulted 
to  advantage.  Bartholomew's  Strip  Maps  of  England 
are  well  regarded  by  those  who  have  used  them,  and  in 
Paris  the  Routes  Taride  are  excellent.  They  are  also 
published  for  Italy  and  Switzerland.  The  Carte 
Routiere  Dion-Bouton  is  a  very  good  general  road  map 
of  France.  Mittelbach's  road  maps  of  Germany  and 
Austria  are  similarly  well  known. 

Good  hand  books  are  published  by  the  Michelin 
and  Continental  tire  companies,  and  are  easily  obtain- 
able. The  automobile  clubs  of  France,  Italy  and 
Switzerland  publish  excellent  guide  books,  and  member- 
ship in  these  clubs  will  enable  the  tourist  to  secure 
copies  of  these  books.  "Le  Guide  Taride"  is  a  guide 
book  that  is  regarded  as  excellent  for  touring  in  France. 

Foreign  Touring.  The  following  suggestions  ^will 
be  found  useful : 

i .  The  tour  should  be  planned  in  advance.  This 
will  be  facilitated  by  reading  up  on  the  subject.  There 
are  a  number  of  entertaining  books  about  foreign 
automobile  travel,  among  which  are  "Motoring 
Abroad",  by  Presbrey;  "English  Highways  and  Byways 


244 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

from  a  Motor  Car",  by  Murphy;  "The  Automobilist 
Abroad",  by  Miltoun;  "High  Roads  of  the  Alps",  by 
C.  L.  Freeston,  and  others.  Consult  your  bookseller. 

2.  Shipment  of   the  car  may  be   placed    in   the 
hands  of  some  reliable  customs  house  broker  in  New 
York,  or  wherever  the  point  of  departure  may  be.      He 
can   take   care   of   many   details,  including   the  crate, 
which  should  be  of  the  "knocked  down"  variety,  and 
ordinarily  costs  from  $40.00  to  $65.00  ;  also  pay  the 
ocean  freight  and  other  charges,  all  for  a  lump  sum. 
The  rates  for  ocean  freight  are  cheap  from  Boston  and 
Philadelphia.     All  charges,  including  freight  (ocean), 
boxing,  dock  charges,  and  customs  charges,  from  New 
York  to  Liverpool,  amount  to  about  $108.00. 

3.  The   owner's   car   must    be    registered   at   the 
Custom  House  in  New  York,  or  other  point  of  depar- 
ture, to  obtain  outward  bound  clearance,  and   before 
returning  to  America  the  owner  must  obtain  from  the 
American  Consul  at  the  point  of  departure,  an  inward 
bound  clearance,  and  a  declaration  must  be  made  before 
the  consul  that  the  car  was  exported  from   America. 
If  the  car  is  shipped  through  a  customs  broker,  as  in 
No.   2,    this   trouble   is    obviated  as    the  broker   will 
handle  the  matter. 

4.  The  American  Express  Company  are  authorized 
forwarding  agents  of  the  American  Automobile  Associa- 
tion, and  have  issued  a  pamphlet  entitled,  "Auto  Tips 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

for  Auto  Trips* ',  which  will  be  mailed  on  application 
to  the  foreign  department  of  the  company  at  65  Broad- 
way, New  York. 

5.  Oelrichs  &  Company,  Bowling  Green  Building, 
New  York,  are  general  agents  for  the  North  German 
Lloyd  Company,  and  issue  a  pamphlet  called,    "How 
to    Ship    an    Automobile    Abroad' '.       This    may    be 
consulted  to  advantage. 

6.  Before    starting,    obtain    a    letter     from     the 
manufacturer  of  the  car,  giving  the  name  of  the  maker, 
model  (year),  style  of  car,  number  of  car,  color  of  body 
and   chassis,  make  of   tires,  number  of  seats   (places), 
weight,  value,  number  of  motor,  number  of  cylinders, 
motive  power,  horse-power,  together  with  the  owner's 
name  and  address. 

7.  Membership  in  the  Touring  Club  of  France, 
at  a  cost  of  six  francs,  is  desirable,  and  this  can  be 
secured  by  presenting  certificate  of  membership  in  the 
A.  C.  A.,   or   a   letter  from   the   A.  A.  A.  certifying 
membership  therein.     The  Touring  Club  of  France 
arranges  for  a  deposit  to  cover  customs,  duties,  eta,  by 
a  "Triptyque".      Deposit  is  returned  at  the  end  or  the 
tour.     Thus  all  duties  are  paid  in  advance,  eliminating 
delays  and  trouble. 

8.  The  Association  Generate  of  France  also  offers 
service    to    the   tourist.      Membership  is  ten  francs  a 
year.      Application  blanks  may  be  secured  from  the 

246 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

A.  C.  A.  or  the  A.  A.  A.  This  Association  can  furnish 
chauffeurs  and  has  the  power  to  issue  licenses.  The 
matter  of  license  is  very  important  in  France. 

9.  The  A.  A.  A.  maintains  reciprocal  arrange- 
ments with  the  Automobile  Association  of  London, 
and  the  Motor  Union  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
whereby  these  bodies  extend  certain  courtesies  and 
supply  certain  information  upon  presentation  of  A.  A.  A. 
membership  cards.  Members  of  the  A.  C.  A.  are  able 
to  secure  cards  of  introduction  to  the  Royal  Automobile 
Club  in  order  to  secure  information  in  planning  trips 
in  Europe. 

Insurance.  Automobile  owners  carry  insurance  in 
some  of  the  various  forms  given  below,  especially  the 
"floater' '  form  of  fire  insurance,  which  includes  burglary, 
theft,  and  hazards  of  transportation.  Liability  insurance 
for  injuries  to  persons  and  damage  to  property  is  also 
desirable.  While  some  desire  insurance  covering 
damage  to  the  car,  it  is  not  carried  by  the  majority  of 
motorists  today,  owing  to  its  high  rate  of  premium,  the 
cost  being  higher  than  that  for  personal  injuries. 

i.  Fire,  burglary  and  theft,  and  hazards  or 
transportation. 

This  policy  is  issued  in  floating  form,  covering  the  car 
wherever  it  may  be  within  the  boundaries  of  the  United  States 
or  Canada,  or  on  board  a  United  States  or  Canadian  coastwise 

»47 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

steamer,  against  loss  or  damage  to  the  automobile  by  fire,  arising 
from  any  cause  whatsoever,  explosion,  self-ignition,  and  all 
hazards  of  transportation  by  railroads,  steamboats,  and  coast- 
wise steamers,  at  the  lowest  prevailing  rates.  The  cost  of  this 
class  of  insurance  is  2  per  cent  where  the  car  is  kept  in  a 
private  garage  seven  months  in  the  year.  Where  the  car  is 
kept  in  a  public  garage,  the  cost  is  2^  per  cent.  (Policies 
can  be  extended  for  a  small  additional  premium  to  cover 
European  touring.) 

2.  Injuries  to  persons.      (Liability.) 

This  class  of  insurance  protects  the  owner  against  his  legal 
liability  for  injuries  caused  by  his  car  to  person  or  persons. 
The  limits  of  this  policy  are  $5000  for  injuries  to  one  person, 
and  $10,000  for  injuries  on  any  one  accident,  no  matter  how 
many  persons  may  be  involved.  The  Insurance  Company 
defends  all  suits  and  pays  all  the  law  costs  incurred  by  the 
owner  in  addition  to  the  full  limits  of  the  policy.  It  gives 
protection  for  claims  and  suits  which  are  many  times  brought 
against  an  owner  for  exorbitant  sums,  and  which  are  always 
annoying  and  costly.  The  rates  for  this  class  of  insurance 
vary  with  the  horse-power  of  the  car,  and  also  as  to  whether 
the  car  is  used  in  or  around  large  cities  or  in  small  cities  and 
in  the  country. 

3.  Damages  to  car. 

This  insurance  covers  damages  done  to  the  car  by  collision 
with  another  car,  or  with  any  other  object.  It  covers  all 
damages  up  to  the  full  insurance  value  of  the  car  (including 
tires,  if  damage  amounts  to  $200).  It  includes  damage  done 
to  lamps. 

a48 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

4.  Damage  to  property  of  others. 

This  provides  insurance  for  damage  to  property  of  others 
by  collision,  for  which  the  assured  is  liable.  This  applies  to 
any  other  automobile  or  wagon,  or  fence,  bridge  or  other 
object.  This  insurance  will  cost  25  per  cent  of  the  rate  charged 
you  for  personal  injuries.  For  this  small  premium  it  is  well 
worth  while  to  have  this  insurance. 

5.  Owner's  insurance. 

This  class  of  insurance  insures  the  owner  against  personal 
injuries  sustained  while  operating,  being  driven  in,  or  caring 
for  the  insured  motor  car. 

6.  Chauffeur's  insurance. 

This  insures  the  paid  driver  against  personal  injuries 
sustained  while  operating,  being  driven  in,  or  caring  for  the 
'nsured  motor  car. 


049 


'X. 


HI  LOCOMOBILE  BOO 


WHAT    IS    THE    LIFE    OF    A    CAR? 

BY   HERBERT   L.    TOWLE 

Many  a  car,  by  dint  of  constant  tinkering,  continues  to  run  after  it  is  "  all 
When  an  automobile  reaches  this  stage  of  its  existence,  it  may  be 
said  to  have  no  value.  Long  ago  it  has  probably  changed  hands  several  times. 
For  the  individual  owner,  therefore,  the  practical  question  is,  "  How  far  will 
this  car  run  before  I  want  to  get  rid  of  it,  and  what  will  its  selling  value 
be  then"  ? 

Until  very  recently  it  was  the  custom  to  consider  the  automobile  purely  a 
means  of  recreation.  If  it  was  ready  to  run,  well  and  good.  If  not,  an 
afternoon  would  be  spent  fixing  it  up,  and  no  particular  harm  was  done. 
Latterly,  however,  a  new  class  of  owners  has  arisen,  comprising  physicians, 
business  men,  commuters,  and  others,  who  depend  on  their  automobiles  for 
necessary  daily  transportation.  To  these  owners  their  automobiles  are  useful 
only  so  long  as  they  can  be  kept  in  daily  service.  Two  or  three  weeks  may  be 
allowed  during  the  winter  for  overhauling,  but  it  is  essential  that  the  automobile 
shall  not  give  out  in  unexpected  ways.  If  it  simply  wears  out,  the  various  parts 
can  be  watched  and  replaced  or  refitted.  When,  however,  things  begin  to  break 
or  come  loose,  the  car  must  be  passed  on  to  a  less  exacting  owner,  though  with 
care  its  subsequent  mileage  may  be  considerable. 

To  be  specific,  let  us  assume  that  a  car  is  used  to  go  a  couple  of  miles  to  and 
from  the  station  or  place  of  business  in  practically  all  weathers.  During  the  day, 
the  owner's  wife  uses  it  in  various  ways,  such  as  for  paying  calls,  marketing,  and 
taking  out  her  friends  ;  also  it  is  run,  as  a  rule,  on  a  pleasure  excursion  of  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  each  week-end.  It  is  housed  in  a  private 
garage,  and  is  kept  clean  and  in  order  by  the  handy  man  under  the  owner's 
directions. 

The  car  for  this  service  will  probably  have  from  twenty  to  thirty  horse-power. 
In  twelve  months  it  is  likely  to  run  about  ten  thousand  miles.  How  many 
seasons  such  as  this  will  it  bear  before  it  ceases  to  be  thoroughly  dependable  ? 

The  answer  will  depend  almost  wholly  on  the  quality  of  materials  and 
workmanship  in  the  car.  A  high-grade,  high-priced  car  may  easily  run  fifty 

151 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

thousand  to  seventy  -  five  thousand  miles  without  developing  weakness  in  any  part. 
It  will  wear  out,  it  is  true,  but  it  will  wear  out  by  degrees,  and  a  yearly 
overhauling  will  make  everything  sound  for  the  next  twelve  months,  barring 
minor  adjustments,  and  the  like. 

It  may,  indeed,  be  said  of  the  high  -  grade  car  that  its  useful  life  is  not 
limited  by  the  durability  of  the  major  wearing  parts — cylinders,  pistons,  gears, 
bushings,  etc.  —  since  all  of  these,  even  the  cylinders,  can  be  replaced  without 
prohibitive  expense.  The  end  of  its  usefulness  to  the  average  owner  is  reached 
rather  when  the  thousand  and  one  minor  wearing  parts  become  so  loose  and  so 
noisy  that,  although  the  car  still  runs,  there  is  no  longer  pleasure  in  driving  it.  In 
modern  cars  more  or  less  is  done  to  defer  the  inevitable  day  when  minor  parts 
wear  out,  but  when  they  do  it  is  frequently  impracticable  to  do  anything  except 
buy  new  ones  throughout,  which  would  cost  more  than  the  remaining  value  of 
the  car.  It  is  true  that  in  many  cases  ingenuity  will  avail  to  minimize  the 
expense,  and  it  is  also  true  that  the  tendency  is  steadily  toward  making  it  easier 
to  refit  or  replace  the  small  as  well  as  the  large  wearing  parts,  and  to  defer  the 
day  of  their  wearing  out,  by  providing  lubrication.  Nevertheless,  it  may  be  said 
broadly  that  the  car  has  reached  the  end  of  its  usefulness  when  its  noise  is  no 
longer  bearable. 

How  is  it  with  the  cheaper  cars  ? 

For  one  thing,  the  cheaper  car  does  not  last  as  long.  Where  a  thirty- horse- 
power car,  costing  from  $2500  to  $3000,  will  run  50,000  miles  before  ceasing 
to  satisfy  the  exacting  owner,  the  $1200  car  of  like  horse -power  is  exhausted 
when  it  has  covered  15,000  or  20,000  miles.  As  for  the  cars  rated  at  twenty 
horse-power  and  thereabouts,  and  sold  at  $900  to  $1000,  10,000  miles  seems 
to  be  about  their  limit  of  mileage  in  the  hand  of  the  first  owner. 

The  fact  is  that  it  is  impossible  to  build  as  good  a  car  for  the  lower  as  for  the 
higher  price.  The  gears,  shafts,  axles,  and  frames  must  be  of  cheaper  steely 
more  hastily  finished  and  put  together.  The  bearings  are  necessarily  quite 
different  from  the  costly,  but  almost  indestructible,  ball  and  roller  bearings  of  the 
expensive  cars.  The  fitting  is  more  hastily  done,  and  detail  refinements  of  both 
design  and  construction  are  everywhere  slighted  in  order  to  get  the  factory 
cost  within  the  permissible  limit.  The  result  is  not  simply  that  wear  is  more 
rapid,  but  that  it  can  less  Confidently  be  predicted.  The  high  -  grade  car  is  not 
exactly  like  the  "  One-  Hoss  Shay  "  ;  yet,  at  all  events,  it  doesn't  break  down, 
but  simply  wears  out.  The  design  of  the  cheap  car  is  not  so  well  balanced  ; 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

something  or  other  is  sure  to  break  or  loosen  before  its  time,  and  little  unpleasant 
surprises,  such  as  the  loosening  of  the  steering  -  gear,  the  shearing  of  a  key,  or 
the  stripping  of  a  badly  hardened  gear,  are  to  be  expected  after  the  first  year  ot 
service.  These  things  may  not  necessarily  condemn  the  car  for  subsequent 
pleasure  use,  but  they  do  unfit  it  for  the  exacting  requirements  of  business  use. 

As  for  the  value  of  a  car  when  sold  at  the  end  of  its  ten  thousand  or  fifty 
thousand  miles,  that  is  a  subject  on  which  it  is  hard  to  generalize.  Probably  as 
many  used  cars  are  sold  at  too  high  as  at  too  low  figures.  A  low-  grade  car  can 
generally  be  sold  for  about  half  its  first  price  at  the  end  o.  its  first  season,  though 
whether  it  is  worth  as  much  may  sometimes  be  questioned.  The  high  -  grade 
car  at  the  corresponding  period  of  its  life  will  admittedly  command  a  lower  sum ; 
that  is  to  say,  one  cannot  sell  it  after  fifty  thousand  miles  at  half  its  first  price. 
A  quarter  is  more  nearly  correct,  but  that  is  due  partly  to  the  simple  lapse  of 
time  and  partly  to  the  likelihood  that  similar  cars  can  be  bought  for  less  money 
than  the  used  car  cost  when  new,  owing  to  lessened  cost  of  production.  Even 
at  that,  however,  the  writer  regards  the  high-grade  car,  bought  with  a  view  to 
running  it,  say  fifty  thousand  miles  before  selling,  as  the  more  economical 
purchase  of  the  two. 


153 


THE  LOCOMOBILE  BOOK 

•  t 

NATIONAL    ASSOCIATION    OF    AUTOMOBILE 
MANUFACTURERS,   INC. 

STANDARD     WARRANTY 

ADOPTED  MAY  i4th,  1910 

We  warrant  the  motor  vehicles  manufactured  by  us  for 
ninety  days  after  the  date  of  shipment,  this  warranty  being 
limited  to  the  furnishing  at  our  factory  of  such  parts  of  the 
motor  vehicle  as  shall,  under  normal  use  and  service,  appear 
to  us  to  have  been  defective  in  material  or  workmanship. 

This  warranty  is  limited  to  the  shipment  to  the  purchaser, 
without  charge,  except  for  transportation,  of  the  part  or  parts 
intended  to  replace  the  part  or  parts  claimed  to  have  been 
defective,  and  which,  upon  their  return  to  us  at  our  factory 
for  inspection,  we  shall  have  determined  were  defective,  and 
provided  the  transportation  charges  for  the  parts  so  returned 
have  been  prepaid. 

We  make  no  warranty  whatever  in  respect  to  tires  or  rims. 

The  condition  of  this  warranty  is  such  that  if  the  motor 
vehicle  to  which  it  applies  is  altered,  or  repaired  outside  of 
our  factory,  our  liability  under  this  warranty  shall  cease. 

The  purchaser  understands  and  agrees  that  no  warranty  or 
the  motor  vehicle  is  made,  or  authorized  to  be  made,  by  the 
company,  other  than  that  hereinabove  set  forth. 

Dated 


BARTLETT 
ORRPRESS 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  ™E  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $I.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


FEB 


19* 


mtt$® 


LD  21-100m-7,'39(402s) 


YC  68253 


803799 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


